The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has published draft rules that will, among other things, provide for share buybacks by listed companies in Kenya. Despite the Companies Act, 2015, introducing the concept of share buyback in the country, the CMA expressed concerns that the move could

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission this week announced the start of the verification of the voters’ register, more than two months behind schedule.  The commission, abbreviated IEBC, is traditionally kept on its toes by the political parties through their party leaders and stakeholders such

The camps of both leading presidential candidates put aside their rivalry this week to push a pliable electoral commission to extend the deadline for the submission of their running mates by 20 days.  While the names of the candidates and their mates were originally scheduled

The World Intellectual Property Day is observed annually on April 26. Since the year 2000, the day is celebrated to raise awareness of the impact patents, copyright, trademarks and design have on our daily life. Intellectual Property (IP) rights are used to encourage innovation and

Faced with pressure from different directions over a decision on his running mate, Raila Odinga this week resorted to a politically secure method – having the decision determined by a committee. While it had always seemed like Kalonzo Musyoka would return to the spot beside

The reporting on the United Democratic Alliance nominations suggested that there was widespread chaos in parts of the 36 counties where the party headed by Deputy President William Ruto was holding its primaries.  The party’s top officials and communication team were however happy that they

Raila Odinga endured a tough day on Thursday as he worked to convince parties in the coalition that he would continue to cater to their interests as the nominations ahead of the General Election begin. Mr Odinga would end up making a U-turn on a

The good news from the Budget Statement was that fuel would be spared the proposed 10 per cent increase in Excise Duty that the Treasury has asked the National Assembly to impose on Kenyans when the Finance Bill is passed.  The bad news, according to

The 2022 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE) is the 37th version in an annual series that highlights significant foreign barriers to US exports, US foreign direct investment, and US electronic commerce. The NTE Report identifies significant barriers, regardless of whether they

The Tax Talk Series hosted by the Kenya Revenue Authority held a webinar on April 8, 2022, to discuss the post budget effects on taxes. The session which lasted for close to an hour was moderated by Nixon Omondi – Manager, Digital Economy, Tax Office.

Every party took something from the judgement by the Supreme Court that ended the journey for the bid to amend the Constitution that started with the Building Bridges Initiative.    Those opposed to the bid, Deputy President William Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza group, took the

Martha Karua this week announced her decision to join Raila Odinga’s Azimio movement, ending weeks of speculation about her political direction.  It was evident from Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria’s reaction that they had hoped to work with Ms Karua to deliver support for Deputy

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has called for comments from the public on its first draft Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) framework for data protection disputes.  The ADR, in the context of the framework, is a voluntary process of settling data protection disputes

As he travelled to the United Kingdom this week, Raila Odinga was hoping to outdo his main competitor, Deputy President William Ruto, but left behind a campaign in trouble just months to the elections.  Mr Odinga’s biggest headaches come from:  His running mate, Kalonzo Musyoka,

Deputy President William Ruto and his allies spent the past week in the Kiambu East region, starting from Thika earlier in the week and traversing through both Gatundu constituencies later.  Dr Ruto has decided to take the President head-on after his erstwhile ally openly showed

Nick Salat, Kanu’s secretary-general, is not a diplomat. This was evident this week as he chided Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka for his apparent indecision over whether to join Raila Odinga’s Azimio. Mr Musyoka was initially thought to be a shoo-in to join Mr Odinga,

With less than six months to the General Election, peace stakeholders have sprung into action in efforts to prevent election-related violence. Last Tuesday, the National Cohesion and Integrated Commission and the United Nations hosted the Uwiano Platform for Peace; Strategic Coordination and Peace. The event

The proposed maximum East African Community Common External Tariff rate of 35% is set to boost intra-EAC trade by USD 18.9 million if adopted by the EAC partner states. This is according  to an  analysis done by the East Africa Community Secretariat on the proposed

All along, it had seemed to Raila Odinga and his supporters that Kalonzo Musyoka would easily agree to cross over and accept to be his running mate, but things have changed drastically. This week, Mr Musyoka revealed to the public an agreement struck between the

On February 23, the European Commission proposed new rules on who can use and access data generated in the EU across all economic sectors. These rules would be contained in the proposed Data Act. According to the press release, the proposal for the Data Act

Deputy President William Ruto has rattled his competitors with the news that he will this weekend embark on a 10-day tour of the United States of America and the United Kingdom.  According to his Head of International Relations, Ababu Namwamba, Dr Ruto is scheduled to

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s third big meeting at Sagana State Lodge went as widely expected.  He castigated his deputy for starting his campaigns earlier than necessary, denying knowledge of the Handshake before it happened and then suggested that he had been involved in corruption before he

Raila Odinga returned from a 10-day tour to an opinion poll saying that Peter Kenneth would be his best bet for running mate.  On the other hand, according to a poll by The Star, Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua is the right man for Deputy President

The Kenyan Parliament is currently reviewing an amendment proposal to the Forest Conservation and Management Act which gives the Kenya Forestry Services (KFS)  authority over boundaries and excisions in state forests. The Forest Conservation and Management Amendment Bill 2021 seeks to repeal Section 34 of

Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka was earlier this week given the greenlight by his Wiper party to negotiate pre-election deals.  Not that he needed permission, as he has nevertheless been approached and is still in the One Kenya Alliance (OKA), but he has over time

Against the backdrop of the 2022 General Election, Kenyans have been receiving unsolicited political messages, as political parties clamber to influence voters. Voter registration has been in overdrive, currently in the second phase of the enhanced continuous voter registration due to end on February 6,

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has sparked a fresh round of controversy in political circles just after the fight over the law determining how coalitions are formed ended.  The electoral commission has proposed changes to the Elections Act, with the apparently most controversial

On Thursday, President Uhuru Kenyatta signed into law the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (“Amendment Act”). Following an acrimonious debate in the National Assembly, the Senate on Wednesday, January 26,  passed the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021, without any amendments. The new law now sets

In the months before he announced an alliance with Deputy President William Ruto, Musalia Mudavadi had been working to change his profile.  He had become more assertive and angled his messaging towards the economy and reminding Kenyans that it was when he joined the Treasury

Jimi Wanjigi has since mid-2021 been vocal about his bid to become a presidential candidate, but the last week has made that ambitious idea fade into the background. The decision by a court to free him as it verifies the orders of another court preventing

While The Standard had published a story about it before, the visit by activists Boniface Mwangi and Hussein Khalid to the banks of River Yala have once again thrown the spotlight on suspected extrajudicial killings in Kenya. The activists reported that since July 2021, a

On January 1, 2022, several key tax amendments contained in the Finance Act, 2021 (the Act) took effect. We take a look at these changes and the likely impact on taxpayers. Requirement for multinational enterprises to file returns on activities in other jurisdictions An ultimate

Journalists have been wary about exploring the story of the abduction, torture and hospitalization of Dennis Itumbi, who now works as a digital strategist for Deputy President William Ruto. Keen to use the opportunity provided by his story, Mr Itumbi has decided to dole out

The potential to create conflict and its harmful effects was evident this week when Meru Senator Mithika Linturi used a metaphor that was previously used to mark subjects for elimination at a public rally. For those who can remember, “madoadoa” in a political context refers

Every day over the past two weeks, the Deputy President’s schedule is sent out by his communication team. His weekly schedule is released at the start of every week to media houses and also distributed via WhatsApp, mostly to journalists’ groups, which ensures that any

Several legislative interventions that have affected the private sector came into force in 2021. As the year draws to a close, we look back at some of these interventions and their resultant impact. The Finance Act, 2021 (the Finance Act) exempted resident persons from Digital

Plans by the Jubilee Party to hold a National Delegates Convention late November died with a whimper and without an explanation.  It was reported that the plans collapsed after a consideration was made that with more than 100 MPs having left the party for the

The balance between the protection of the right to privacy and enforcing anti-money laundering laws will once again come to the fore as Parliament works to seal loopholes in the current legal framework.  Kenya is considered one of the major money laundering jurisdictions in the

Businesses and the Government will have a symbiotic relationship in the use of citizens’ data under changes to the law proposed in the Huduma Bill, 2020.  The Bill is among those President Uhuru Kenyatta asked Parliament to expedite and conclude in his State of the

By: John Mburu The EGCL Institute recently conducted a study on the impact that Government domestic borrowing has on private sector investment in Kenya. In summary, the study established that Government domestic borrowing can affect private investment negatively by reducing the amount of credit available

Orange Democratic Movement head Raila Odinga is scheduled to make a major announcement on December 10, but observers expect no surprises as he has pointed in the direction already.  Barring a change of heart, the former Prime Minister will be making official his fifth attempt

Chief Justice Martha Koome has been handed yet another test in the form of a protest letter over her membership in a committee connected with the elections. The protest is from Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance party and was issued after Justice Koome

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party is set to hold its National Delegates Congress on November 30, a significant meeting for the party whose future has been in doubt since the fallout of its principals. Orange Democratic Movement boss Raila Odinga will be joined by Kalonzo

The United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) has commenced an international executive search seeking to retain a substantive Vice-Chancellor to lead the premier higher education institution. The process will be spearheaded by a United Kingdom-based firm, Oxford HR, a specialist executive search and organizational effectiveness firm

The Data Protection Act, 2019, (the DPA) was assented to by President Uhuru Kenyatta on November 8, 2019, and came into effect on November 25, 2019. This month marks the 2nd year anniversary since the DPA came into force. As Kenyans become savvier about their

Chief Justice Martha Koome has appealed against a ruling by the High Court that the President can be sidestepped in the process of appointing judges, effectively casting her lot with the Executive. Details of her reasoning will emerge as the appeal progresses, submissions are filed

The electoral commission this week announced that it had rejected the rules to govern nominations submitted by 89 parties, amongst them the two backing the biggest candidates – Raila Odinga and William Ruto. Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairman Wafula Chebukati suggested the parties had

On Monday, November 1, 2021, China’s Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) took effect, months after it was promulgated by the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress. This is China’s first comprehensive law in the personal information protection area and it is based on the

Kenyans were this week reminded of the Building Bridges Initiative in two ways.  The first was the publication of a Bill to amend the Constitution being pushed by Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua. One of the main, and controversial, features of the Bill is the provision

Deputy President William Ruto is on a mission to visit every constituency in Kenya before the General Election.  He has, so far, held 133 meetings in 20 counties, which means that he is likely to meet and probably surpass his target.  The decision to open

Going by his latest statements, Dr Willy Mutunga’s stint at the Judiciary was a five-year break from activism, for he is right back where he started, with more fire and actions that will test the leadership of the institution he left. Dr Mutunga has announced

The private sector alliance (KEPSA) collaborated with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and UNDP in the organisation of the REDD+ strategy consultation forum that took place at Nyali Sun Africa Beach Resort, Mombasa, on Tuesday, October 19, 2021.  The regional consultation forums were organised

Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) has for years now been an enabler of Kenya’s economy and development. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, the government looked at ICT to provide various solutions given that the Ministry of Health had laid out various measures including

The relationship between the Executive and the Judiciary is seen in some quarters to have soured starting September 2017 when the Supreme Court annulled the re-election of President Kenyatta. That moment woke the current administration to the magnitude of the choices made in not only

From now onwards, every public holiday whose celebrations he presides over will be labelled President Uhuru Kenyatta’s last, and as the end of his term draws closer, the expectations grow heavier. He spent the most of his Mashujaa Day speech outlining the things done over

Recently, the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM), Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and New Faces New Voices (NFNV)collaborated on a project to examine the impact of diversity and inclusion on organisational performance, decision-making, and productivity in the boardroom. The study sought

Data security came to play at the High Court in Nairobi on Thursday, October 14, 2021, after Justice Jairus Ngaah declared that the government’s decision of November 18, 2020, to roll out Huduma Cards was illegal. The judge said the government had not adhered to

The electoral commission this week gave the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs a wish list of laws it wants changed to make it easier to manage the General Election in August 2022. They include provisions to allow a complementary mechanism to transmit presidential election

This week, the International Court of Justice( ICJ)  ruled on the maritime dispute between Kenya and Somalia . The bone of contention was in which direction each of the country’s borders extends into the Indian Ocean. Somalia said the boundary should run in the same

Compared to how they handled Raila Odinga, there was a different tone in the conversation when the Mt Kenya Foundation met the One Kenya Alliance earlier this week.  Where the former Prime Minister was assured of support, the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) was given the

It’s 4:45a.m, Mutuku Keith is preparing to leave his home in Syokimau. He has been trying to figure out how he can evade traffic for months now.  Sometimes when he leaves as early as 5a.m there’s traffic and other times there’s not much traffic or

The term Metaverse is used to describe a virtual space within digital environments such as online games, social media, and virtual reality. It is a network of always-on virtual environments in which people can interact with one another and digital objects while operating virtual representations

Gulf Energy and Rubis Energy are battling in court over privacy and security issues that arose after an acquisition. Rubis Energy acquired KenolKobil in 2019, a transaction that enabled it to acquire Gulf Energy. In the transaction, Gulf Energy transferred all its ICT assets including

Raila Odinga, the head of the Orange Democratic Movement, this week made his biggest moves yet to harness the votes he anticipates will be the reward of his rapprochement with President Uhuru Kenyatta. He toured Central Kenya, met and received the approval of the powerful

The cooperation agreement between Kenya Airways (KQ) and South African Airways (SAA) announced this week marked the first steps towards the creation of a Pan-African Airline Group despite the path being littered with a myriad of domestic issues. Both airlines are facing financial difficulties, which

The Information Communication Technology Practitioners Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 38 of 2020) seeks to establish a legal framework for the training, registration, licensing, practice and standards of Information, Communication Technology (ICT) professionals in Kenya. The Bill sponsored by the Hon. Godfrey Osotsi, M. P,

The United Kingdom on Thursday announced their Post-Brexit approach to international data transfers which includes future partnerships with Kenya. India, Brazil and Indonesia are also in this priority list. The first territories which it will prioritise striking ‘data adequacy’ partnerships will be the United States,

A sit-down with the President always offers interesting insights and is no doubt a good deal for the media, as it is bound to produce headlines as the country is given a rare chance to examine the thinking of its Head of State. President Uhuru

Today a seven-member Court of Appeal bench dismissed the BBI appeal. The seven judges are Daniel Musinga, Fatuma Sichale, Gatembu Kairu, Hannah Okwengu, Roselyn Nambuye, Patrick Kiage and Francis Tuiyott. The judges took turns to read their judgments which were upholding the High Court’s decision.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga surprised many, their allies especially, when they reached a truce and marked it with The Handshake on the steps of Harambee House on March 9, 2018.  Part of the agreements reached that day were to resolve the issues they

The press conference by Moses Kuria, Martha Karua and Mwangi Kiunjuri on Thursday was advertised as a significant moment for development in Kenya’s politics ahead of the General Election. At the end, a hot mic on the table at the venue picked up an interesting

When they emerged from their Parliamentary Group meeting, MPs supporting Deputy President William Ruto came out with a bold statement.  They declared: “The governing Jubilee Party has collapsed. The opposition NASA coalition has disintegrated. The Hustler Nation has found a new home in the United

Going by the short Kenyan tradition as far as parties go, the National Super Alliance was never meant to last. Still, its imminent dissolution has been dramatized and televised, with Raila Odinga, its erstwhile presidential candidate, this week announcing the decision by his Orange Democratic

Digital technology and ease of access to information has culminated in changing communications skills and consumer spending behavior. A 2020 Mastercard Study on Consumer Spending revealed that at least four out of five (79%) of surveyed consumers in Kenya shop more online since the Covid-19

Two incidents on Thursday and another one on Friday morning have swung the spotlight back on corruption.  The Thursday ones involved Justices Aggrey Muchelule and Said Juma Chitembwe, whose officers were stormed and searched by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations before they were

The Cabinet Secretary to the National Treasury and Planning is proposing to make the Capital Markets (Investment Based Crowdfunding) Regulations, 2021. The Regulations will apply to investment-based crowdfunding platforms in Kenya. They will also apply to persons who are operating investment-based crowdfunding platforms in Kenya. 

In the cycle of Kenyan politics, every new party needs a confidence-booster ahead of its first major General Election. William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance got theirs with a narrow win over Jubilee Party in the Kiambaa Constituency by-election.  Uhuru Kenyatta was there in September 2012,

President Uhuru Kenyatta is reported to have made an attempt this week at uniting the heads of the now-dead National Super Alliance, the coalition Raila Odinga used to make his last attempt at the presidency. The President is reported to have initiated a meeting between

The public phase of the appeal against the High Court decision that sought to end the Building Bridges Initiative has ended. There were two days in which the proponents of the Bill to amend the Constitution clothed their bid in the finest clothes, and two

The role of the private sector in development is more than just that which is pegged on the financial sector. Apart from the traditional economic development role that the private sector plays that includes providing goods and services, generating tax revenues and developing new and

The National Communications Secretariat is currently collecting views on the draft National Addressing Policy and the draft National Addressing Bill, 2021. These two instruments will enable the creation of a National Addressing Framework. This is a framework that will provide for the naming, numbering and

The latest salvo from Deputy President William Ruto will add to the sentiment that the Jubilee Party is in its last days.  In an interview on KTN News, Mr Ruto criticized the suggestion that the ruling party could merge with the Orange Democratic Movement but

Politicians from the east of Mt Kenya were last week angered by the suggestion from their counterparts from the west of the mountain that there could yet be a candidate from that side fit for the presidency. Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi is arguably the most

“We believe the policies that we have laid down will be able to keep inflation down, interest rates will be controlled, balance of payments will be also managed properly, and also the Kenyan shillings exchange rate, we are expecting it to remain stable on account

Budgeting for an election usually starts before the year in which the election is held, which would make an allocation in the Budget normal, but there is more this year.  The allocation has been tripled, from KSh4.6 billion to KSh15 billion, and this has been

The East African Community member states are eyeing the Democratic Republic of Congo market of 86.7 million people and are eager to have the vast country join the bloc. With a surface area equivalent to that of Western Europe, the DRC is the largest country

The Business Registration Services has published several business laws amendments bills. They hope the amendments will address the necessary gaps and achieve a coherent legislative framework for these laws. The amendments bills are: The Registration of Business Names (Amendment) Bill,2021. The Insolvency (Amendment) Bill, 2020

Sustainability is a critical component of a comprehensive plan for future success. Contrary to popular belief, sustainability is more than just environmentalism as it also recognizes the role of social and economic dimensions in delivering long term prosperity. Businesses must take active roles to demonstrate

Before the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, the phrase “Serikali ni siri kali” (Government is a big secret) commonly described the futility encountered in attempts to receive information from public institutions.  Article 35 of the Constitution tore that veil of secrecy as it

In the week he fired a broadside at the Judiciary, President Uhuru Kenyatta also dared the same arm of Government to what will be a long debate by appointing a section of the 41 judges he had refused to do.  He left out six of

At the National Prayer Breakfast held at Parliament on Thursday, President Uhuru Kenyatta asked MPs to fast track and approve the Bill for the implementation of Universal Health Coverage.  The National Hospital Insurance Fund (Amendment) Bill seeks to make it mandatory for any Kenyan who

As of Tuesday 25 May, it was 5 years of General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). 3 years since its enforcement and its impact on the world can be felt. The Regulations have elevated the awareness of privacy and data protection from boardrooms to living rooms

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) vide a Gazette Notice No. 4697 informed the public that a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) on the proposed Data Protection (Registration of Data Controllers and Data Processors) Regulations, 2021 had been prepared. The aim of the RIA

A week after five judges delivered a scathing verdict of the Building Bridges Initiative, President Uhuru Kenyatta is yet to make a statement on the matter.  There has been plenty of sentiment from the people around him, from what was perceived as a veiled threat

TAX AMENDMENTS HIGHLIGHTS Introduction: The Finance Bill, 2021 was published on 05th May 2021. The reason for publishing the Bill early, as was the case in 2020, was to comply with the ruling by Justice Winfrida Okwany referencing Petition Number 253 of 2018 where the

The Building Bridges Initiative gained more momentum this week with the approval from the Senate of its Bill to amend the Constitution. Proponents of the initiative have been counting their achievements: easily getting four million signatures to support the initiative, getting an overwhelming majority of

The President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan arrived in Kenya on Tuesday this week following an invite from President Uhuru Kenyatta. The relationship between the two countries took a nosedive during the presidency of the late John Pombe Magufuli, her predecessor.

There were two politically significant events touching on Deputy President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, two prominent candidates for the presidency next year.  First, Mr Odinga had to call in his loyal troops in the National Assembly to deal with Rarieda MP

The desire by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition Leader Raila Odinga to introduce constitutional amendments under the Building Bridges Initiative has run into new headwinds of a political and legal nature. The political ripples have been created by two important moves made by Kakamega Governor

Earlier this week, the High Court of Kenya vide a ruling in the Constitutional Petition No. E005 of 2021, a case of Stanley Waweru & 3 others (the Petitioners) V National Assembly, the Commissioner General, Kenya Revenue Authority and the Attorney General (the Respondents), paused