Kenya Power CEO Joseph Siror (right) and Transport manager David Mugambi demonstrate how to charge an electric vehicle at Stima Plaza, Nairobi on April 22, 2024. [Robert Tomno, Standard] During his speech at the just-concluded Third Annual E-Mobility Stakeholders Forum and Expo held in Nairobi, Kenya Power Chief Executive Joseph Siror pointed out how the company’s charging stations at Stima Plaza have been busy since their launch in 2024. “I don’t know if it is a reflection of adoption or it could be the fact that we do not charge any fee,” he said. While figures presented by the E-Mobility…
Author: By Graham Kajilwa
Malaysia to move palm oil business head office to Nairobi Published Date: 2025-05-12 10:00:00 Author: By Graham Kajilwa Source: The Standard
Malaysia’s move has been influenced by the European Union Deforestation Regulations that restrict exports of products to the EU market that are linked to cutting down of trees. [File, Standard] Malaysia will be moving its palm oil business headquarters from South Africa to Kenya as the country looks to position Nairobi as its base for re-exports to the rest of the Sub-Saharan region. The move is also in line with Malaysia’s grand plan to shift part of its processing to Nairobi as well as expanding its plantation. Get Trusted News for Only Ksh99 a Week Subscribe Today & Save! Get…
Imported clinker is loaded onto a Standard Gauge Railway train in Mombasa. [File, Standard] Kenya’s cement clinker imports dropped 93.1 per cent last year amid contraction in the construction sector over the period, new data shows. According to the 2025 Economic Survey, the amount of clinker imported stood at 10.3 million tonnes compared to 148 million tonnes in 2023. Imports of the critical component in the manufacturing of cement have been on a downward trend, having fallen by 77.4 per cent in 2023. A year earlier, in 2022, the amount of clinker imported into the country stood at 656.5 million tonnes.…
(L-R) James Mbithi CEO of Principal officer Britam general insurance, Melvin Marsh International Founder and CEO Flora Mutahi, Ayusa Ondieki Vice-Chair of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers SME Hub and Patrick Njunge director retail and business banking at HFC, during the launch of Britam Biashara a combined business protection solution on April 15, 2025 at Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard] When it comes to access to finance, the default argument for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has always been a lack of collateral. But according to the founder and chief executive of Melvin Marsh International Flora Mutahi, the 30-year-old firm behind…
The green arrow is going up the Stacks of coins arranged in a bar graph, Finance and business concept. 3D illustration. [File] According to the Standard Chartered Kenya 2025 Bonus Sentiment Report, most wealthy Kenyans plan to spend their bonus earnings on replenishing their investments. The report shows that over 70 per cent of upper-class individuals expect to receive at least two bonuses this year, with the majority planning to spend their earnings on wealth-building investments. For the second consecutive year, investment remains the top priority for bonus use (30 per cent), surpassing spending, saving, and debt repayment. One in…
State Department for Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira, Kenya Power Managing Director Joseph Siror and Transport Manager David Mugambi during the 3rd Annual E-Mobility Conference in Nairobi, on May 5, 2025. [Bernard Orwongo, Standard] Kenya Power is working with the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (Kirdi) on the possibility of coming up with a battery manufacturing plant, as the electricity distributor seeks to position itself as a major player in adoption of electric vehicles. While Kenya Power chief executive Joseph Siror says they do not seek to crowd out the private sector in this space, he noted that the…
Published Date: 2025-05-06 09:26:37 Author: By Graham Kajilwa Source: The Standard
In the last two years, Kenya’s economy was beset by myriad misfortunes – high inflation that hit 9.6 per cent in October 2022, a devalued shilling that averaged Sh160 to the US dollar and increased taxes due to the Finance Act 2023. The default reaction for businesses became layoffs and slowing down production to sail through this period. Then came 2024, and the economy came to a standstill as Gen Z-led protests dominated the end of the 2023-2024 financial year. Published Date: 2025-05-05 12:30:13 Author: By Graham Kajilwa Source: The Standard
A protester carries a bread and a teargas canister along Kenyatta Avenue, Nairobi, when demonstrators mainly youths staged a protest against the passage of Finance Bill 202, on June 20,2024. [Collins Kweyu, Standard] The cost of bread, alcohol, diapers and cosmetics is set to go up with the implementation of the Sustainable Waste Management (Extended Producer Responsibility or EPR) Regulations, 2024. The regulations, which are anchored under the Sustainable Waste Management Act, were gazetted on November 4, 2024. Producers and brand owners were given six months before implementation. They were gazetted by the Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.…
President William Ruto (2nd left) interacts with COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli during the 60th Labour Day Celebrations at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi on May 1, 2025. [Boniface Okendo, Standard] No pay increase was offered in this year’s Labour Day celebrations as President William Ruto directed the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to ensure the six per cent salary increment pronounced last year is implemented. The President also directed Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua to facilitate employees on contract to join unions, citing it as a constitutional right as the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) claimed workers are being…
Nairobi Expressway captured from Westlands on April 23, 2025. [Benard Orwongo,Standard] Property prices in Westlands have dropped the most in the last year in the latest index by real estate firm HassConsult, as the effects of the radical trade policies by US President Donald Trump start showing in the sector. This is as satellite towns, such as Juja, gained at the expense of leafy suburbs associated with diplomatic tenants, United Nations Staff and workers in high-end non-governmental organisations like Gigiri, which recorded a drop in property asking prices. Property prices in Juja saw the highest increase in the last year…
Title Deeds show the ownership in addition to rights, obligations or mortgages on the property at the time of sale, purchase or transfer. [Courtesy, iStock] You are more likely to lose ownership of your land to family members than to fraudsters, a report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows. This is considering the major method of land acquisition in the country is through inheritance, according to the Kenya Housing Basic Survey Report 2023-2024. The report shows that the possibility of losing ownership of your land due to family misunderstandings is higher compared to if you did not…
Brenda Okumu who runs a posho mill in Mudoriko, Busia County, that was converted from being diesel powered to electricity. [Courtesy] Brenda Okumu emerges from the mud-walled structure housing her posho mill, momentarily buried in a cloud of white as she dusts off flour from her clothes. Her business lies deep inside Mudoriko village, Busia County, where ugali made from dried cassava and loose maize is the main staple food, and electricity connection from the national grid is still a challenge. However, her business, a key cog in delivering this staple, now has a lifeline from a mini-grid set up by Kudura Power…
Mini-grid operators step in to bridge power needs for businesses Published Date: 2025-04-30 00:00:00 Author: By Graham Kajilwa Source: The Standard
From left: ICEA Lion Asset Management, CEO Einstein Kihanda, Portfolio Manager Rachel Gumbi, and Head of Research Judd Muregi, during the company’s Quarterly Investor Pulse presentation and the release of the Q1 Consumer Spending Index, in Nairobi, on April 28, 2025. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard] Higher spending among consumers has been sustained across the first quarter of the year, with the latest ILAM Consumer Spending Index showing increased volumes in purchases made. Compared to the previous index that covered the last quarter of 2024, the latest trend is motivated more by reduced prices rather than costly commodities. The downward trend of…
Trucks on a queue at Malaba border on January 20, 2024. Truck drivers have blamed the Uganda and Kenya authorities for laxity in border clearance. [File, Standard] While fielding questions during his four-day visit to China, President William Ruto sought to explain why Kenyan traders consider local goods expensive compared to neighbouring markets. “The difference between us and our neighbours is that Kenya is in the middle-income category. Our neighbours, Tanzania, Uganda and the rest, are the least developed countries,” he explained in a video that was seen online. In the session, Kenyans raised concerns about how the business environment…
NSSF Board of Trustees Chairman David Kariuki Njeru, CEO/Managing Trustee David Koross and other Trustees, commemorate 60 years of innovation, inclusion, and sustainable growth during the 7th Annual General Meeting at the Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, on April 25, 2025. [Courtesy] The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has revealed its plan to pay claims within 24 hours, placing its bet on technology, an agile workforce and cleaning up its records. NSSF chief executive and Managing Trustee David Koros said this has already been done, citing a point in time in March when the fund paid seven claims at its Hill…
Amsons Group Cement Cluster CEO Mokate Ramafoko (left) and Bamburi Cement Plc Commercial Director Martin Kariuki flag off a Ready-mix concrete delivery truck during the launch of Bamburi Cement’s new Ready-mix Concrete Plant in Mombasa, on April 27, 2025. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard] Bamburi Cement Plc, a subsidiary of Amsons Group, has launched a Sh100 million ready-mix concrete plant in Mombasa County aimed at meeting the growing demand for quality concrete solutions in the island and its environs. The new facility by Bamburi Special Products, located in the Bamburi area, boasts a production capacity of 120 cubic metres per hour with…
Principal Secretary for the State Department of Industry in the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry (MITI) Juma Mukhwana (2nd right), Kenya Association of Manufacturers CEO Tobias Alando and Danish Industries East Africa Regional manager Klaus Christensen (2ndleft) with guests at the official launch of the route to market strategy 2025-2027 by Kenya Association of Manufacturers at Hyatt Place, Nairobi. [David Gichuru, Standard] Halal processed foods, specialised tea and minerals are among the key items prioritised by manufacturers for exports in the Route to Market Strategy 2025-2027 that seeks to cement Kenya’s footprint in global trade. The strategy, drafted by…
A delegation from the United States is expected in Nairobi next week as the country seeks a deal to scrap the 10 per cent tariff imposed on Kenyan exports by President Donald Trump. Principal Secretary State Department for Industry Juma Mukhwana said on Wednesday, Kenya’s position is to have the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) extended beyond the September deadline and the Kenya-US Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) finalised. “On the US situation, the Kenyan government has been very clear. We have the requests that we have put on the table. The 10 per cent tariff should be…
The proximity of Kajiado County to the country’s capital is one of the reasons tenants are spending more than half of their incomes on rent as demand for housing in the area continues to skyrocket. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data shows that Kajiado County has the highest rent-to-household expenditure at 64.7 per cent, even as the rural part of Wajir posts the highest across the country at a record 73.9 per cent. Published Date: 2025-04-24 08:00:00 Author: By Graham Kajilwa Source: The Standard
Trade Principal Secretary Juma Mukhwana during the official launch of the route to market strategy 2025-2027 by Kenya Association of Manufacturers at Hyatt Place, Nairobi, on April 23, 2025. [David Gichuru, Standard] A delegation from the United States is expected in Nairobi next week as the country seeks a deal to scrap the 10 per cent tariff imposed on Kenyan exports by President Donald Trump. Principal Secretary State Department for Industry Juma Mukhwana said on Wednesday, Kenya’s position is to have the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) extended beyond the September deadline and the Kenya-US Strategic Trade and Investment…
L-R: Datuk Robert GSI Malaysia,Bidco Chairman Vimal Shah,Dr. Dorcas Mbithe senior lecturer Kenyatta University & Neev Shah KAPA Oil during Malaysia Palm Oil technical seminar 2025 on 2nd April 2025. [Wilberforce Okwiri,Standard] The taxman has strongly defended the government’s position on taxes, saying the levies imposed on businesses are not to blame for the high cost of production. While manufacturers have blamed the Kenya Kwanza administration, even voicing their preference for Uganda and Tanzania as more favourable investment destinations, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) insists that the industry already has the necessary incentives to spur production. Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA)…
Delegates during the KUSSCO Limited’s 8th Annual Sacco Leaders Convention at Sarova Whitesands in Mombasa, on February 21, 2023. [File, Standard] The role of the Commissioner for Cooperative Development in the Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (Kuscco) scandal has been questioned as affiliated societies’ officials fight a directive to dismiss them from office. A directive from the Commissioner for Cooperative Development that roped in the courts in December 2024 sought to have former Kuscco board officials be barred from holding any position in the Sacco societies due to their dismissal from the union. This followed the disbandment of…
President William Ruto and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during the high-level meeting on the Belt and Road Initiative that he co-chaired at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit in Beijing President Ruto commended China for its determination to strengthen cooperation with Africa. [PHOTO EDWARD ALUSA/PCS. 5/9/2024] The United States (US) administration is unfazed by African countries looking East following the announcement of tariffs on imports, even as President William Ruto embarks on a four-day State visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. The two leaders also had a meeting in September 2024 during the Beijing Summit…
National Treasury PS Dr Chris Kiptoo addressing the media outside Treasury Building in Nairobi on February 13, 2025. [Boniface Okendo, Standard] The National Treasury has linked the country’s ballooning debt over the years to the pricey cost of upholding the 2010 constitution, even as Kenyans await the submission of budget estimates and the Finance Bill 2025, this month. National Treasury Principal Secretary Dr Chris Kiptoo said the country’s budget deficits have been widening since the adoption of the new constitution, which necessitated more borrowing. While responding to requests from players in the pension sector on possible exemptions to enable growth,…
Cooperatives and MSME Development CS Wycliffe Oparanya during a meeting with the National Assembly’s Committee on Trade, Cooperatives and Industry over the 2025 Budget Policy Statement at Bunge Towers, Parliament. February 24th, 2025. (Elvis Ogina, Standard) The government has enlisted the expertise of foreign SACCO executives to sanitise the local sector, following financial improprieties that have plagued the Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Co-operatives Ltd (KUSCCO). Cabinet Secretary for Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMEs), Wycliffe Oparanya, announced in a statement that he has appointed a committee of experts tasked with reviewing the laws governing the…
Nelson Havi(Left)chairman board of directors Retirement Benefits Authority(RBA) and Dr.Chris Kiptoo principal secretary national treasury,during retirement benefits Authority(RBA)consultative forum,on 16th April 2025 at Sarova Panafric hotel in Nairobi county. [Edward Kiplimo,Standard] The push to consolidate small pension schemes is gaining momentum as industry players seek regulations specifying the least amount a retirement plan can hold. Stakeholders said yesterday the sector is currently too fragmented for the pension assets under management to make meaningful contributions to the needy segments of the economy. This is despite the industry recording growth, with pension assets under management surpassing Sh2.3 trillion as of the end…
Rental houses in Pipeline Estate in Nairobi’s Embakasi area. A majority of tenants do not have tenancy agreements with their landlords. [File, Standard] It is still unclear how the government plans to collect Sh86 billion more from landlords, even as it unveiled a new digital tax system targeting the segment. The lack of data on the number of landlords and rental properties in the country has been cited as a major hindrance to bringing them into the tax net. The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) collected Sh14.4 billion from rental income tax in the financial year 2023-2024. This is a year-on-year growth…
Manufacturers want the State-funded credit guarantee scheme (CGS) for small businesses to be increased by Sh15 million and the repayment period extended to eight years. This proposition aims to improve capital access among micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which are the beneficiaries of this scheme. Apart from providing a five-year tax moratorium for MSMEs to enhance their cash flow, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) also wants 20 per cent of the allocations under the scheme to be ring-fenced for businesses in manufacturing. These proposals are contained in the newly launched Manufacturing Priority Agenda 2025 by KAM, which details…
Rental houses in Pipeline Estate in Nairobi’s Embakasi area. A majority of tenants do not have tenancy agreements with their landlords. [File, Standard] It is still unclear how the government plans to collect Sh86 billion more from landlords, even as it unveiled a new digital tax system targeting the segment. The lack of data on the number of landlords and rental properties in the country has been cited as a major hindrance to bringing them into the tax net. The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) collected Sh14.4 billion from rental income tax in the financial year 2023-2024. This is a year-on-year growth…
Pension regulator, the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) has set its eyes on the informal sector as it seeks policy reforms to increase contributions, amid an improved pension assets to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio. Latest numbers show the pension assets to GDP ratio slightly went up to 14.6 per cent in the year ended December 2024, from 12.2 per cent for the year ended December 2023. Amid the increase, which can largely be attributed to enhanced National Social Security Fund (NSSF) contributions that came into force in 2023, RBA notes this ratio is still low. “Kenya’s ratio is still lower…
The recovery of the stock market last year was a shot in the arm for the pension sector. [Courtesy] The recovery of the stock market last year was a shot in the arm for the pension sector. The season saw fund managers find confidence to invest in quoted equities, causing assets under management to surpass the Sh2 trillion mark. As the shilling strengthened, the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) witnessed more investors, including foreign ones. They flocked back to the bourse, seizing the opportunity as the window for high returns from government paper was closing. “Investments in government securities saw a…
Only one in five tenants is willing to purchase the units they are currently living in, pointing to a possible mismatch between housing supply and what prospective home owners would want. Analysis of data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Housing Survey Basic Report 2023/2024 details these complexities around meeting the demands of prospective home owners. The report notes that a majority of tenants would rather build their units – a bungalow or maisonnette – rather than purchase the unit they are renting at the moment. However, a majority of them also have no plan in place towards…
Only one in five tenants is willing to purchase the units they are currently living in, pointing to a possible mismatch between housing supply and what prospective home owners would want. Analysis of data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Housing Survey Basic Report 2023/2024 details these complexities around meeting the demands of prospective home owners. The report notes that a majority of tenants would rather build their units – a bungalow or maisonnette – rather than purchase the unit they are renting at the moment. However, a majority of them also have no plan in place towards…
Only one in five tenants is willing to purchase the units they are currently living in, pointing to a possible mismatch between housing supply and what prospective home owners would want. Analysis of data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Housing Survey Basic Report 2023/2024 details these complexities around meeting the demands of prospective home owners. The report notes that a majority of tenants would rather build their units – a bungalow or maisonnette – rather than purchase the unit they are renting at the moment. However, a majority of them also have no plan in place towards…
Only one in five tenants is willing to purchase the units they are currently living in, pointing to a possible mismatch between housing supply and what prospective home owners would want. Analysis of data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Housing Survey Basic Report 2023/2024 details these complexities around meeting the demands of prospective home owners. The report notes that a majority of tenants would rather build their units – a bungalow or maisonnette – rather than purchase the unit they are renting at the moment. However, a majority of them also have no plan in place towards…
Only one in five tenants is willing to purchase the units they are currently living in, pointing to a possible mismatch between housing supply and what prospective home owners would want. Analysis of data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Housing Survey Basic Report 2023/2024 details these complexities around meeting the demands of prospective home owners. The report notes that a majority of tenants would rather build their units – a bungalow or maisonnette – rather than purchase the unit they are renting at the moment. However, a majority of them also have no plan in place towards…
President William Ruto (second right), World Chambers Federation Chairman Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu (second left), Cooperatives CS Wycliffe Oparanya (right) and KNCCI President Erick Ruto arrive for the official opening of the World Chambers Federation Africa Summit 2025 in Nairobi, on April 9, 2025. [PCS] President William Ruto has broken his silence on the 10 per cent tariff imposed on Kenyan exports to the US, asserting that Kenya will safeguard its interests amid the global trade war, which has prompted retaliatory import tariffs from other nations. In what appears to be a pushback following US President Donald Trump’s blitz of protectionist tariffs,…
Only one in five tenants is willing to purchase the units they are currently living in, pointing to a possible mismatch between housing supply and what prospective home owners would want. Analysis of data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Housing Survey Basic Report 2023/2024 details these complexities around meeting the demands of prospective home owners. The report notes that a majority of tenants would rather build their units – a bungalow or maisonnette – rather than purchase the unit they are renting at the moment. However, a majority of them also have no plan in place towards…
Members of parliamentary energy committee during a tour of a mini hydroelectricity plant at Mathioya River. [Photo/Boniface Gikandi] KTDA Power Company Ltd, a subsidiary of Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), has reported a 32 per cent surge in electricity production from its operational hydropower projects. Currently, Imenti, Lower Nyamindi, Gura, North Mathioya, Chania, and Nyambunde hydro-projects are fully operational. A statement from KTDA said these six operational power plants generated 3.28 MKWhrs in February 2025, and 4.33 MKWhrs in March 2025. “The increase is attributed to the ongoing heavy rains, which have significantly boosted river flow and output. These hydro-power…
Co-operatives PS Patrick Kilemi before the National Assembly’s Trade Committee at Bunge Towers,Nairobi.August 22nd,2024. [Elvis Ogina,Standard The government is facing a challenge in dealing with non-remittances of Sacco contributions, even as the law allows the Commissioner of Co-operative Development to reprimand culpable employers. Principal Secretary in the State Department for Co-operatives Patrick Kilemi says while the law has bestowed powers to the Commissioner of Co-operative Development, the recent business environment and symbiotic relationship between the National Treasury and public institutions make applying this law a challenge. He says in cases where the business environment has been understandably a challenge, such cases can…
A livestock officer shows butchers how to remove skin from an animal while at the slaughter house.Skins and hides bring about Sh 128 million revenue. [FILE] Poorly equipped tanneries in countries like Kenya are among the reasons behind the slow growth of the leather and leather products sector, which has led to an influx of imports from China, a regional trading bloc says. The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) has listed the challenges affecting the leather sector, citing the lack of chemical industries in the region, finances, qualified personnel, and flaying techniques that result in poor quality…
Kakuzi Plc Managing Director Chris Flowers at the Kakuzi PLC in Avocado farming in Thika 19th May 2022. [David Gichuru,Standard] The Kakuzi board of directors has recommended a Sh8 dividend per share after the agricultural firm reported a loss of Sh130.4 million for the year ended December 2024. The firm attributed the performance to challenges in shipping routes, strengthening of the shilling against the US dollar, drop in avocado exports, and adverse weather conditions. In the year ended December 2023, the firm reported a profit of Sh455.6 million. In the released financial statements, Kakuzi, however, notes improvements in its macadamia,…
Retirements Benefits Authority wants pension funds for public entities not to be categorised as public funds. [Courtesy] An ageing workforce in the public sector has been cited as one of the key reasons why investment firms concentrate their assets under management in government paper, even as the regulator is pushing for diversification. According to the Retirements Benefits Authority (RBA), Treasury bills or T-bills and bonds are among the top five preferred asset classes for investment firms, yet the regulator has a broad list of 15. An industry report from RBA shows that as of June 2023, 47.79 per cent of pension…
Delegates during the 9th Sacco Leaders’ Convention hosted by Kuscco Ltd at Sarova Whitesands in Mombasa County, on February 21, 2024. [File, Standard] The financial troubles bedevilling the Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Co-operatives (Kuscco) have sent Saccos back to the drawing board as they seek to regain the trust of the industry responsible for close to Sh1 trillion of Kenyans’ savings. Players in the sector maintain that Saccos are still the best bet for those keen on growing their wealth and safeguarding their future, despite the panic elicited by the corruption scandal at the umbrella organisation for cooperatives,…