Author: Antony Mutunga

Absa Bank has reported a slight 1% decrease in total revenue in H1 2025 compared to the same period last year, when it stood at Sh31.8 billion. This modest decrease was primarily due to a 2.9% contraction in net interest income, resulting from tighter interest rate margins across the industry. However, Absa Bank successfully offset this pressure through a 3.3% growth in non-interest income, particularly from its payments business, showcasing the benefits of its diversified revenue streams. Operating expenses saw a marginal 1% increase to Sh11.4 billion as the bank continued making strategic investments in technology and talent development to…

Eastleigh is set to host a permanent Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) office from September 2025, a move welcomed by traders and business owners in the area. The announcement, made during a high-level meeting between the KRA Board and the Eastleigh Business District Association (EBDA), signals the tax agency’s commitment to building a more collaborative relationship with one of the country’s most vibrant commercial hubs. The focus on Eastleigh is significant, given its economic importance and the potential for increased revenue collection through voluntary compliance. According to KRA Board Chairman Ndiritu Muriithi, the new office will bring services closer to the…

Equity Group has posted a strong financial performance for the first half of 2025, with profit after tax rising 17% from Sh29.6 billion to Sh34.6 billion. The growth was supported by improved operational efficiency, reflected in a wider net interest margin of 8.3% and a lower cost-to-income ratio of 51.7%, indicating tighter cost control. Total assets grew 3% to Sh1.8 trillion, while net loans increased 4% to Sh825.1 billion. Government securities surged 18% to Sh540.9 billion, signalling a strategic shift towards safer assets amid economic uncertainty. Deposits rose 2% to Sh1.3 trillion, maintaining the group’s strong liquidity position. However, asset…

Cybersecurity in Africa has come a long way in the last several years, evolving to a point where now most African organizations are investing more in defenses, rolling out training programs, and adopting new technologies. However, dangerous blind spots still remain. The real threat isn’t just hackers or weak firewalls; it’s the widening gap between what management thinks their employees know and what they actually understand. According to the KnowBe4 Africa Human Risk Management Report 2025, many organizations are overestimating their workforce’s cybersecurity readiness while underestimating critical deficiencies in trust, training, and practical application. The report reveals a troubling trend:…

The inflation rate climbed to a three-month high of 4.15% in July, driven by rising costs of essential goods and services, including food, transport, and utilities. According to data from the Central Bank of Kenya, the latest figure is nearly the same as April’s inflation rate of 4.11% and marks an increase from the steady rates of 3.82% and 3.75% recorded in June and May, respectively. The upward trend was primarily fueled by price surges in key categories, with food and non-alcoholic beverages rising by 6.8%, transport costs increasing by 4.1%, and housing, water, electricity, and gas edging up by…

Safaricom and global payments giant PayPal have collaborated to create seamless connectivity between mobile money and online transactions. The landmark partnership looks to empower over 35 million M-PESA customers and two million Kenyan businesses—from street vendors to tech start-ups—to send and receive payments across PayPal’s vast network spanning 200 markets worldwide. Users can now link their M-PESA and PayPal wallets, enabling instant transfers between the two platforms. The service, currently available to M-PESA customers in Kenya with plans for expansion across other M-PESA markets, addresses a long-standing pain point for Africa’s digitally savvy but financially excluded populations. According to Esther…

For generations, many families in Africa have cooked over smoky charcoal fires, a daily ritual that fills homes with toxic fumes, degrades forests, and drains household incomes. However thanks to the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), managed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), a shift is occurring, bringing affordable electric cooking to low-income households in a bold bid to transform their lives. Across Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia, a revolution is taking place in millions of kitchens, thanks to the Burn Electric Cooking Expansion Program (BEEP), a program that makes clean cooking appliances more affordable and accessible. With the backing…

Gideon Muriuki, the long-serving CEO of Co-operative Bank of Kenya, has further cemented his position as the lender’s top individual shareholder after acquiring an additional 12 million shares worth Sh202.8 million in the first five months of 2025. This strategic purchase has seen his stake increase from 2% at the end of 2024 to 2.19%, reinforcing his belief in the bank’s growth prospects. The shares, which were bought at an average price of Sh17 each, marked Muriuki’s first major stake increase in two years, with his last significant acquisition coming in early 2023 when he bought 14.6 million shares to…

Centum Group has reported a decline in profit after tax to Sh812.82 million for the year ending March 2025, down from Sh2.60 billion in the prior period. This significant drop was primarily attributed to two key factors: reduced fair value gains on investment properties following an exceptional transaction in the previous year, and a substantial Sh1.2 billion deferred tax charge resulting from regulatory changes. Notably, the tax rate on land not held for sale increased from 5% to 15%, creating additional headwinds for the group’s financial performance. Despite these challenges, Centum demonstrated resilience in its core operations. The group achieved…

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has rolled out a major update to import regulations that will affect businesses across the board. This new mandate, which took effect from 1st July 2025, requires every single shipment entering Kenya to have a valid Certificate of Origin (COO)—no exceptions. Gone are the days when only goods under special trade deals needed this document. Now, whether it’s machinery, textiles, or electronics, importers must ensure their consignments carry this crucial paperwork, stamped and verified by a competent authority – a government agency or officially designated body in the exporting country authorized to issue these certificates.…