Kenya’s inflation remained contained in March 2026, in a move that offers the monetary policy committee and policymakers room to maintain or even ease interest rates as price pressures stay within target. Fresh data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows annual inflation stood at 4.4% in March, meaning the general price level was moderately higher than the same period last year, but still within the Central Bank of Kenya target band of around 5%. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.5%, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increasing to 150.0 from 149.2 in February. The uptick signals…
Author: Fred Aminga
The competitive landscape for Safaricom could be set for a significant shift after Airtel Africa moved to integrate satellite connectivity into its network in a move that may weaken Safaricom’s long-standing advantage in coverage. The telco has dominated Kenya’s telecom sector through scale, reach, and the reliability of its terrestrial network, an edge that has underpinned everything from voice and data services to its market-leading mobile money platform. However, satellite-to-mobile connectivity which has been enabled through Airtel’s partnership with SpaceX and its Starlink constellation now introduces a new deal where coverage is no longer dependent on physical infrastructure alone. Initial…
Equity Group Holdings generated an average of Sh6.2 billion every month last year—about Sh208 million a day—after tax, underscoring the scale at which the regional lender is now operating at a time Central Bank of Kenya pushed interest rates to new lows. This follows a record-breaking year in which profit after tax jumped 55 per cent to Sh75.5 billion for the period ending December 2025, up from Sh48.8 billion a year earlier. Following the surge in pprofits, the Group has proposed a dividend of Sh5.75 per share, translating to a total payout of Sh21.7 billion—35.3 percent higher than the Sh16…
Centum Investment Company has finally exited Sidian Bank marking the end of one of the region’s longer-running private equity relationships in Kenya’s banking sector. This after Centum announced it completed the sale of its entire stake in Bakki Holdco Limited, the special purpose vehicle through which it held an indirect interest in Sidian Bank. The move concludes Centum’s association with the bank, bringing to a close a 22-year investment that dates back to the early 2000s. Access Bank Plc, the Nigerian banking group is the largest shareholder having acquired a controlling stake through its investment vehicle, coupled with other private…
The State is moving ahead with plans to partially divest its stake in Safaricom after Parliament approved the government’s proposed $1.91 billion share sale, marking one of the most significant privatisation moves in recent years. The decision follows the adoption of a joint report by the National Assembly’s committees on Public Debt and Privatisation and Finance and National Planning, clearing the way for the state to proceed with the transaction. The motion was introduced by Abdi Shurie, chairperson of the Public Debt and Privatisation Committee, who urged lawmakers to endorse the report and allow the government to begin the process…
