Kenya’s competition regulator has approved the sale of Diageo’s 65 per cent stake in East African Breweries Plc (EABL) to Japan’s Asahi Group Holdings, clearing a major hurdle in the $2.3 billion transaction (approximately Sh297.9 billion). The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) has, however, attached conditions to the approval, including requiring EABL to set aside sufficient funds from the transaction proceeds to meet any outstanding liabilities. The regulator has also directed the brewer to reserve 20 per cent of cooler space in retail outlets for competing beverage brands, a measure aimed at maintaining competition in the market following the change…
Author: Davin Muthoni
The Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) has admitted it lacks the capacity to effectively police the growing spread of counterfeit alcoholic drinks in Kenya, even as new evidence shows some of the country’s best-known drinks brands are also among the most heavily targeted by counterfeiters. Appearing before the Senate Standing Committee on Information, Communication and Technology on Thursday, September 10, ACA Chief Executive Dr Robi King’a said drinks from East African Breweries Limited (EABL), Kenya Wines Agency Limited (KWAL), Zheng Hong Kenya Limited and Partiala Distiller (K) Ltd, including vodka and cane spirit products, were among those most susceptible to counterfeiting in…
Kenya Airways says it is counting losses of over Sh900 million following the three-day aviation workers’ strike that crippled operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and other major Kenyan airports between August 30 and September 2. The airline’s management confirmed the scale of the financial hit even as it announced a full return to normal operations, with all backlogs from the disruption now cleared. Beyond the direct cost to the airline itself, KQ acknowledged that passengers bore a significant share of the disruption’s real-world impact, facing altered travel schedules, additional expenses, and missed personal, business, and commercial engagements. “While…
Kenya Airways’ Acting Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Captain George Kamal, has resigned from the national carrier, citing personal reasons, the airline announced on Tuesday, September 1. According to the airline, Kamal will remain at Kenya Airways for a 30-day transition period before his formal exit on September 30, 2026. Chairman Kiprono Kittony confirmed the departure in a memo to staff dated September 1, thanking Kamal for four years of service to the airline. Kamal joined Kenya Airways as Chief Operating Officer in March 2023, a role he held for roughly three years before being elevated to acting…
Kenya has overtaken Nigeria to become Africa’s leading market for mergers and acquisitions by value, after deal value in the country surged 670.5 per cent year-on-year to $1.44 billion in the first half of 2026, according to a new report by DealMakers Africa. The jump lifted Kenya from sixth position in the first half of last year to the top spot this year, marking a sharp reversal for Nigeria, which had held the number one ranking by value in four of the past six years. Nigeria’s M&A value, by contrast, collapsed 88.9 per cent to just $105.8 million in the…
The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating HFCB Group over its release of financial results during trading hours last week, a move that breached capital markets disclosure rules and forced the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) to halt trading in the company’s shares for the entire session. CMA confirmed it is reviewing the matter jointly with the NSE and will take action “as appropriate,” leaving open the possibility of sanctions against the listed lender. “The Capital Markets Authority is reviewing the matter together with the NSE and will take action as appropriate,” the regulator said in an emailed response to Business…
Kenya’s growing use of debt refinancing and bond restructuring could put its credit rating at risk if markets begin to view the moves as a sign of financial distress, S&P Global has warned. The ratings agency said frequent debt restructuring could raise concerns about the country’s ability to meet its obligations and eventually increase the risk of a credit downgrade. The warning came as S&P retained Kenya’s long-term sovereign credit rating at ‘B’ with a stable outlook. The agency, however, said the rating could come under pressure if the country’s foreign exchange reserves fall significantly or if the cost of…
Kenyan businesses face rising costs for communicating with customers on WhatsApp, after Meta announced it will begin charging for messages sent in response to client queries from October 1, ending years of free services on the platform. Under the new pricing, WhatsApp will charge Kenyan businesses $0.0040, roughly Sh0.52, for every delivered message sent to a customer, part of a wider push by the American technology giant to monetise features on its Business platform that have long been offered free of charge. Meta confirmed the shift in an announcement covering the change. “From October 1, 2026, Meta will charge for…
KAA has officially transitioned into a public limited company, adopting the name Kenya Airports Authority PLC. The authority announced the change in a public notice issued on Thursday, August 27, saying it had been incorporated as a public limited company on June 3, 2026, under the Companies Act, 2015. The transition follows the repeal of the Kenya Airports Authority Act, Cap. 395, on December 5, 2025, under the Government Owned Enterprises Act, 2025. KAA said the new corporate structure is intended to strengthen governance, accountability, commercial sustainability and operational performance, while maintaining its existing mandate of providing safe, secure, efficient…
Kenya Airways’ net loss for the six months to June 2026 widened by 31.9 per cent to Sh16 billion, after operating costs climbed to a record level on the back of the Middle East conflict’s impact on global fuel prices. The national carrier’s total costs rose 12 per cent during the period to a record Sh97.7 billion, up from Sh86.7 billion a year earlier, pushing the loss up from the Sh12.2 billion recorded in the first half of 2025. The bulk of that increase came from fuel, with expenses jumping 66 per cent to Sh29 billion, now accounting for roughly…
