Ending monopoly to curb frequent power outages: Further review of the new energy regulations.

In last week’s Vellum, we covered the draft Energy (Electricity Market, Bulk Supply and Open Access) Regulations, which opened access to the entire value chain of the electricity grid to anyone interested in selling electricity in the country. This effectively ends Kenya Power and Kenya

From nightmare to sector success: Training bodaboda operators is the key to a safer  and more profitable future

Eric Massawe, Country Manager at Watu (Kenya) In Kenya, boda bodas have become more than just a means of transportation. They have evolved into the unsung heroes of our communities. Beyond ferrying people from one point to another, they play a vital role in delivering

FKE slams PSRA for unilateral actions impacting jobs and contracts

The Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) in February 2024 released a Legal Notice notifying the general public of a list of 726 registered and licensed corporate private security service providers in Kenya as of 5th February 2024. Nine private security companies not on the list

An analysis of foreign competition regulations in comparison to the COMESA regulations. 

Competition law comprises a set of legal rules which aim to control the socially harmful exercise of private market power, whether through hardcore cartels, single-firm monopolies, or mergers that reduce structural competition. This is a discipline that has undergone a remarkable process of expansion in

You can run, but you can’t hide: As Kenya adopts CRS, calls for balancing tax transparency with data privacy concerns emerge.

Kenyan commercial banks have started implementing the Common Reporting Standards (CRS), a tax procedures regulation of 2023. This regulation requires all Kenyan banks, trusts, and other financial institutions to report and share information about foreign account holders with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) as the

Navigating Voluntary Tax Disclosure Programmes: A Guide for Businesses.

In the dynamic landscape of taxation, businesses often find themselves grappling with complex tax compliance requirements. In response to this challenge, tax authorities around the world have introduced voluntary tax disclosure programmes (VTDPs) to incentivise taxpayers to come clean about previously undisclosed tax liabilities. These

President Ruto’s Japan visit Sh350bn deals, powering Kenya’s economic revival

President Ruto’s visit to Japan earlier this week led to the signing of agreements worth Kshs 350 billion. A giant share of the money will go towards key projects and programmes crucial for Kenya’s economic revival. Notably, the Dongo Kundu Infrastructure Ecosystem and the Mombasa

Ukrainian delegation visits Kenya: Kyiv actively pursues business and diplomatic relations with Nairobi amid ongoing conflict

The Republic of Ukraine, despite the ongoing conflict, is actively seeking diplomatic partnerships and building relationships with Kenya. A delegation from Ukraine was in the country recently to meet various government officials and Members of Parliament to discuss areas of interest. Such sectors of interest

Transformative impact of aligning businesses with the SDGs.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global initiative agreed upon by 193 countries in one of the most united diplomatic motions. These goals outline the challenges faced by societies around the world. The SDGs encompass a wide spectrum of issues, from poverty eradication and

Geopolitical events and AI technology likely to shape 2024

As the world turns into a new year, the state of geo-political relations remains tense, with the Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Hamas conflicts continuing. However, predictions suggest that the state of global geopolitical relations will deteriorate as multiple events are set to take place and significantly influence

Elevating competitive edge through compliance: Key findings from the 2023 Global Compliance Risk Benchmarking Survey

  As our world undergoes rapid and dynamic transformation, the momentum behind the regulation of businesses shows no signs of waning. Suffice it to say, due to the fast-paced and interconnected nature of modern-day business terrain, the fundamental place of compliance cannot be downplayed. Consequently,

Special Feature: Performance contracting report 2021/2022 released

On April 11, 2023, President William Ruto released the Performance Contracting Report for the 2021/2022 Financial Year. Performance contracting is a tool that the government has adopted in the management of public service. Under Executive Order No. 1 of 2023, President Ruto placed the performance

BRICS at a glance: Funding opportunities for Africa and the risks

The new world order known as BRIC, a group acronym referring to Brazil, Russia, India, and China, has been trying to take over economic dominance from the West and have more sovereignty and autonomy.  The acronym BRIC created in 2001 was predicted to be one

PSC lauds public institutions for improvement in compliance

The Public Service Commission has commended public institutions for improvement in terms of their compliance. According to a report released by the Commission, the overall compliance index of various public institutions for the 2021/2022 financial year was 41.7%. Public universities were ranked the best performing

Expected changes in the fiscal policy to attract investment in Kenya

The current administration is committed to bringing legislative amendments to the fiscal policy through the Finance Bill, 2023, and the Budget Policy Statement. President William Ruto noted that the changes in the fiscal policy would introduce the National Tax Policy within the next three months

A Primer: The Kenya Foreign Exchange Code

Over time, the country’s financial landscape has witnessed tremendous growth and transformation. Amidst the laudable growth and transformation, numerous risks and weaknesses have been exposed. As a result, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) which holds a regulatory and supervisory role over the country’s foreign

Internet of Things in Kenya: Using GSM to provide business solutions

Telcos in Kenya have adopted Internet of Things (IoT) technology through a variety of projects. Airtel has launched the ‘Always On’ solution to allow devices anywhere to stay connected after launching their eSIM, which has proven particularly useful in the transport sector for tracking cars. 

HR laud new NSSF rates for bid to entrench saving culture among Kenyans

While Kenyans decried the implementation of the new National Social Security Fund (NSSF) rates, Ms. Audrey Kagwiria, a Human Resource Officer, has lauded the move saying it is the best move as it will encourage Kenyans to cultivate the saving culture which many lack. In

Dollar shortage, consequences and how Kenya can cut impact of the currency in future

Kenya has been facing a dollar shortage since March last year. This is an acute foreign exchange crunch, with the US dollar reserves dropping to their lowest in eight years. The Kenyan currency keeps plummeting against major global currencies and according to the Central Bank

Importation of cheap food by state firm is not without ripple effects

The  Kenyan government announced that it will import large quantities of rice, cooking oil, sugar, wheat and beans duty-free through the Kenya National Trade Corporation (KNTC) as part of efforts to tame the rising cost of essential commodities in Kenya. The KNTC is a State

City Hall turns to Safaricom for revenue collection

Kenya City Hall turns to Safaricom for revenue collection Safaricom has inked a two-year deal with City Hall to offer a payment platform for Nairobi County services in a move set to lower pilferages in collecting taxes and levies. The telco says it will develop

Reawakening the circular economy discourse will edge Kenya toward sustainability

According to the World Bank (2021), Kenya is one of sub-Saharan Africa’s fastest developing economies. The Kenyan economy’s success has been bolstered by a stable macroeconomic environment, high investor confidence, and a resilient services sector. Furthermore, the country is proud of its market-based economy and

Supplementary Estimates for FY 2022/2023: An overview

The Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations submitted the report on the Supplementary Estimates for FY 2022/2023. In the supplementary budget, requests for reallocations and additional allocations as well as expenses covered under Article 223 of the Constitution are submitted for approval by the Parliament.

An overview of the Tax Procedures Act (No. 29 Of 2015) (Common Reporting Standards) Regulations, 2023

The Tax Procedures (Common Reporting Standards) Regulations, 2023 took effect on January 1, 2023. The Regulations are significant steps towards the global movement to increase tax transparency due to the increase in cross-border transactions that at times may lead to tax evasion and tax planning.

Supplementary Budget 2022/2023: An Analysis

Recently, the National Assembly called for memoranda on the Supplementary budget 2022/2023 tabled before the House for approval. This budget was much awaited as President Ruto has promised to cut down government expenditure by KShs. 300 billion and work towards fiscal consolidation. Ideally, supplementary budgets

National Treasury Draft Green Fiscal Incentives Policy Framework

The National Treasury recently published the Draft Green Fiscal Incentives Policy Framework “the Framework” to steer Kenya’s economy onto a desired low-carbon climate-resilient green development which is critical in achieving a green economy. The Framework sets out actions and economic mechanisms to be undertaken by

New appointment at Safaricom board

Mr. Adil Khawaja (MBS) has been appointed the Chairman of the Board of Safaricom PLC, having been appointed director at the same entity earlier. Mr. Khawaja currently serves as the Managing Partner at Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews, and is a leading name in the

Meet Samir Ibrahim a new board member at KAR

Mr Ibrahim is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Sunculture Kenya Limited, a climate, solar, agriculture, food systems and security, water, financing and Internet of Things firm. He is also an advisor to Ezra Venture Studio, a team and network of company builders and

Meet Dr Fancy Too a new Board Member at KRA

Dr Too is the Director, Graduate Programs (LLM and LLD) at the Strathmore University Law School. She has also previously served as the Dean, Kabarak University Law School. In social service, Dr Too is the Chairperson of Kipteris Girls High School Board of Management. She

20th January 2023 Trade and Financial Services Round Up

  Kenya   Users allowed to sue Safaricom over clients’ bank details access  The High Court has allowed millions of Safaricom subscribers to join a class action suit against the telecoms operator over a clause in the SIM card registration rules that allows the firm

Economy 2023: How Kenya is preparing for global economic shocks

In the last few years, the global economy has been trying to cope with multiple shocks and economic uncertainties. This has been elicited by the Covid-19 pandemic, political instability, climate change induced shocks and international conflicts. These effects may not end soon and have provided

New leadership team at Kenya Revenue Authority KRA Board of Directors

The government has, in recent days, spared no effort or platform to confirm its commitment to economic transformation as outlined in the Kenya Kwanza Manifesto. Tax compliance is one of the critical planks featuring prominently in the economic transformation agenda. President William Ruto hardly misses

Possible solutions to the financial crisis in institutions of higher education

A recent feature in one of the dailies painted the dire picture depicting Egerton University’s financial distress. The university’s debt burden has escalated to KShs. 9 billion, while at the same time it struggles financially to run its functions. To drive a nail into the

13th January Trade and Financial Services Round Up

Kenya State bursts recurrent budget forecast by Sh81.7bn President William Ruto’s administration projects expenditure for the day-to-day running of the government is Sh81.7 billion more than what the previous regime budgeted, pointing to piling spending pressures, including salaries and wages. The Treasury has forecast recurrent

Cytonn’s dilemma in the face of liquidation order

A high court ruling in Kenya this week has ordered the liquidation of two funds owned by Cytonn Real Estate – Cytonn High Yields Solution (CHYS) and the Cytonn Real Estate Project Notes (CPN) – to recover Kshs 14 billion owed to 4,000 investors. Some

Small businesses and the digital economy: Addressing challenges to bridge the gap

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) released a policy brief on micro and small enterprises’ participation in Kenya’s digital economy. It explored challenges that MSEs face in the digital economy. The study considered four categories of digital technologies; that is connectivity; digitisation and automation

2023 Economic Look Out

What will the New Year usher in, in emerging markets and in Kenya? From an economic perspective, the following is expected in emerging markets:   GDP Growth  Global economic experts appear to be in agreement that there will be an economic growth slowdown but it

9th December 2022 Kenya Gazette

PUBLIC SECTOR Appointments: Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Kithure Kindiki, has appointed: Silas K. Sachida, Masika M. Mukuyuni, Geoffrey Wanyoike, and Moses Mucheru Hopkins M. Hoyt to be fingerprint experts.   Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, Zachariah Njeru,

Enter Fractional Share Ownership in Kenya: What you need to know about fractional investing

Fractional shareholding allows a person to purchase a piece, or a fraction of a share.  For example, if one share costs KSh 500, a person could buy a proportion of that say for KSh 250 while another person buys the remainder for KSh 250. Each

25th Trade and Financial Services Round Up

Kenya Court stops law allowing workers to withdraw pension for home purchase A High Court has stopped the implementation of the Retirement Benefits (Mortgage Loans) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020 which allows workers to withdraw part of their pension to buy a home.  Justice Anthony Ndung’u said

18th November 2022 County Round Up

Meru The Governor of Meru County appoints the following to be members of the County Executive Committee: Kisii The Governor of Kisii County has appointed the following to be members of the Kisii County Executive Committee: Migori A gazette notice has been given on the

18th November 2022: Trade and Financial Services Round Up

Kenya Counties with the worst loan defaulters exposed Drought-hit Marsabit, Garissa, Samburu and Isiolo counties have the highest proportion of borrowers defaulting on credit, including dues owed to shopkeepers and shylocks. The rates of default in the four counties ranged between 47 per cent and

Banks to use Treasury bonds as loan collateral

As part of measures aimed at increasing industry liquidity and relieving the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) from frequently having to bail out cash-strapped institutions, banks will soon be able to borrow from one another using government debt securities as collateral. The CBK implemented this

e-governance: Paving the way to digital transformation

There are unique opportunities to use ICT for economic growth, productivity increase, and better service delivery.  According to the International Cooperation Development 2019 report on Guidelines and Roadmap for full deployment of e-governance systems in Africa, there are two critical elements of e-governance: digital elements

Kenya Kwanza’s big opportunity and risk with Hustler Fund

The Kenya Kwanza administration is now set to roll out its first big pledge bylaunching the Hustler Fund. The launch event is set to happen on November 30, withPresident William Ruto presiding. In an administration that faced difficult issues from the first day – drought,

11th November 2022 County Round Up

UASIN GISHU The Governor has gazetted the names of  members of the Uasin Gishu County Executive Committee responsible for the matters respectively specified in the schedule. KITUI The Governor has established a committee to be known as the Kitui County Human Resource Audit and Rationalization

11th November 2022 Trade and Financial Services Round Up

TRADE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES ROUND UP Kenya Kenya eyes 100pc shift to clean energy by 2028 Kenya will fully transition to green energy by 2028, President William Ruto has said. Speaking to CNN, he said continued reliance on fossil fuels was no longer tenable. “I

President Ruto bags a host of trade and energy deals

As Kenya spearheads efforts for the continent to join the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTFA), President William Ruto’s government has established the tone for economic diplomacy on the regional and continental fronts. In addition to four other agreements that would address non-tariff barriers like

Can Kenya Airways salvage its position and revert to a profitable path?

Kenya Airways (KQ) woes came to head this week with its pilots going on strike and bringing to a halt the operations of one of the largest airlines on the continent. It was not just passengers getting stranded, but the horticultural sector also reported losses

7th October 2022 Kenya Gazette

Legislative Supplements, 2022 ●     The Export Processing Zones Act—Declaration of Export Processing Zone ●     The Medical Practitioners and Dentists (Inspection and Licensing) Rules, 2022 ●     The Merchant Shipping (Kenyan Seafarers’ Identity Document) Regulations, 2022 ●     The Capital

Sustainability is the heart of Enterprise Risk Management 

Environmental and societal risks have overtaken economic and geopolitical risks in terms of both likelihood and impact. Board members and the C-suite today need to have a clear and informed view of risks affecting the business environment. The business world is fraught with risks that

2nd September 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA How budget chief plans to kill false unpaid bills The Controller of Budget (CoB) will not accept fresh payment requests from counties and entities of the national government for the year ended June, in the latest move to curb a surge in fake claims

26th August 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA NHIF drops bid to have top earners pay more monthly The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) has dropped its bid to have workers earning more than Sh100,000 pay more in monthly contributions, easing the financial strain on top earners and their employers. The State-backed

19th August 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA New President inherits half a trillion shillings of unpaid bills Kenya’s new President will inherit more than Sh500 billion owed to suppliers and contractors by ministries and State agencies in bills that have exposed many small and medium-sized businesses to closures and auctions. Latest

Unpacking Kenya AfCFTA National Implementation Strategy 2022-2027

Recently, Kenya was selected among several countries that would initiate trading under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). The pilot phase is meant to test environmental, legal and trade policy basis for intra-African trade.Trading under the AfCFTA provides great opportunities such as a combined

Highlights of the 2022 Kenya Financial Sector Stability Report

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) recently released the 2021 Financial Stability Report which discusses developments and risks in Kenya’s economy and financial sector in the post-Covid–19 pandemic recovery phase, and details how the financial sector has remained resilient.  The report outlines some of the

12th August 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA EABL’s Kisumu and Nairobi biomass plants almost ready East African Breweries Plc (EABL) is set to complete the setting up of its biomass-fired energy plants as it accelerates its shift to renewable energy. Diageo Plc, a majority shareholder of EABL, says the Kenya biomass

5th August 2022 Trade & Financial Service Round Up

KENYA Deloitte fined for Sh2.1bn hidden hole in Chase Bank The capital markets regulator on Wednesday fined Deloitte after the audit firm failed to detect a non-existent Sh2.1 billion Chase Bank account at the Central Bank that enticed bond investors to offer the collapsed lender

29th July 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Kenya inks cheap power deal with Ethiopia Kenya on Tuesday officially signed a Power Purchase contract with Ethiopia for the purchase of cheap hydroelectric power even as Nairobi nears completing the transmission line to evacuate power from its northern neighbour. Kenya is expected to

22nd July 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Kenya disowns port deal promises made to Dubai Kenya has disowned promises of a July tender made to Dubai Port (DP) World that would have allowed the UAE-based firm to offer a bid for development, operation and management of the country’s four ports. DP

15th July 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Biden dumps Uhuru’s trade deal with Trump The Biden administration on Thursday launched a fresh strategic trade and investment partnership with Kenya, replacing an agreement ex-President Donald Trump’s government had inked with Nairobi. The US and Kenyan governments will start work within three months

8th July 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Safaricom Ethiopia to start operations next month The Safaricom-led consortium aims to start operations in Ethiopia next month but will stagger the rollout of the telecommunication services across various Ethiopian cities until next year. The Safaricom consortium, which also includes British development finance agency

Nairobi International Financial Centre and Kenya’s Critical Development Path

The set-up of the Nairobi International Financial Centre is a major milestone in Kenya’s ongoing efforts to become an Upper Middle-Income Country (UMIC). While its significance will largely become clear with time, the set-up of International Financial Centres (IFCs) generally, often are precursors for market

1st July 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Treasury shuns law set to control goods prices The Treasury will not invoke the law that allows the government to control the prices of essential goods in reaction to the surge in inflation. Treasury Principal Secretary Julius Muia on Wednesday said the State will

24th June 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Hoteliers, traders jostle for piece of KSh6bn rally windfall Palatial homeowners with spacious grounds in Naivasha are hurriedly setting up tents to cash in on the windfall from the World Rally Championship. With lodging spaces having been problematic during last year’s event, ingenuity is

17th June 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Grain stuck at Tanzania border due to new import requirement Tanzania has imposed a new requirement on grain traders to get an export permit before shipping maize into the country, in a policy shift that has locked already bought stocks of grain by Kenyan

10th June 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Kenya FDI declines Kshs 31.5 billion amid rebound in the EAC Kenya’s foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows went against a regional recovery trend in 2021 after falling by $269 million (Kshs 31.47 billion), a United Nations survey showed on Thursday. The UN Conference on

3rd June 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA New alcohol, SIM card taxes rock Parliament A Member of Parliament affiliated to Deputy President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza coalition on Thursday evening proposed higher taxation on beer and a new duty on imported SIM cards in changes to the Finance Bill 2022 that

27th May 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA KCB first quarter profit jumps to Sh9.9 billion KCB Group net earnings grew by more than half in the first quarter ended March, helped by higher interest and non-interest income and lower loan loss provisions. The lender’s net profit in the period stood at

20th May 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Kenya’s debt repayments to China shoot to Sh73.5 billion Kenya’s debt repayments towards China-funded infrastructure projects have more than doubled to a record Sh73.48 billion this financial year on the back of increased clearance of principal sums after the grace period lapsed. Expenditure data

What KRA needs to do before leveraging on digital intelligence to weed out tax evaders

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has announced the establishment of an advanced forensic laboratory that will provide the authority the capability to access financial data from taxpayers’ computers and mobile phones, in a bid to detect tax evasion and to reduce financial fraud.  The Kenyan

13th May 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Manufacturers protest new KRA fuel, beer tax powers Manufacturers want the proposed powers to exempt excisable goods like fuel, beer and bottled water from annual price rises due to inflation to be taken away from Kenya Revenue Authority to the lawmakers, citing conflict of

Betting on consolidation of the insurance industry to increase product penetration

As of 2020, the insurance penetration rate in Kenya was at 2.17 percent, down from 2.34 percent in the preceding year. Kenya has maintained a descending trajectory since 2016, when the penetration rate was at 2.78 percent.  Research conducted by the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA)

6th May 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA  Economy grows fastest in 11 years on easing Covid curbs Kenya’s economy rebounded in 2021 to grow at the fastest pace in 11 years on easing of Covid-19 restrictions which boosted recovery in key sectors excluding agriculture whose activities were hit by poor rainfall.

28th April 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Safaricom gets Sh46bn loan for Addis licence  Standard Chartered Bank Kenya was one of the major banks that lent Safaricom a total of $400 million (Sh46.3 billion) last year, helping the telecom operator pay for its Ethiopian licence. “The $400 million facilities comprised a

22nd April 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA  Kenya delays talks on 15pc cut in power bills The State is yet to open talks for a review of power purchase agreements signed over the years by Kenya Power, signalling further delay of the promised electricity bill cut for homes and businesses by

14th April 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Fuel prices to hit highest in Kenya’s history without subsidy Petrol prices will from midnight increase to the highest level in Kenya’s history unless the State subsidises the rising crude oil costs, which may further stoke public outrage over the high cost of living.

Barriers to digital foreign trade in Kenya: A US perspective

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

8th April 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA  Taxpayers to deposit 50pc of disputed tax at CBK before suing KRA Firms and individuals fighting the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) in courts over tax demands will have to deposit 50 percent of the disputed amount in a Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) account.

1st April 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Monetary Policy Committee report indicates strong economic performance amid gnawing global pressure  The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met on March 29, 2022, against a backdrop of a changed global outlook with heightened geopolitical tensions, volatile commodity prices, the Covid-19 pandemic and measures taken by

Microsoft launches premier African engineering hub in Kenya

President Uhuru Kenyatta, accompanied by ICT CS Joe Mucheru, on Thursday evening, presided over the launch of Microsoft’s premier engineering hub, the Africa Development Centre (ADC).  The ADC, valued at Kshs. 3 billion ($27 million), is one of the largest software engineering facilities in Africa,

25th March 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Fertiliser crisis looms on Sh5.7bn subsidy row MPs want President Uhuru Kenyatta to order the reinstatement of a Sh5.7 billion fertiliser subsidy that the Treasury has removed from the supplementary budget. The legislators have threatened to paralyse the passage of the Sh138 billion mini-budget

18th March 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Banks abandon CBK’s SME mobile loans deal  Four lenders selected by the Central Bank of Kenya to give low-cost mobile loans to small businesses under a programme dubbed ‘Stawi’ have abandoned the deal. The Business Daily can reveal that the platform has not issued

11th March 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA KRA signals peace with Keroche in Sh22bn row The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has signalled concessions for Keroche Breweries after day-long negotiations with the owners of the embattled firm on Thursday over a disputed Sh22.79 billion tax bill. The taxman revealed that a deal

4th March 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Sanctions block Sh10bn Kenya exports to Russia Kenya’s exports of tea, flowers, coffee and fruits to Russia have been derailed in the wake of sanctions imposed on Moscow by Western nations after its invasion of Ukraine, hurting local smallholder farmers. The blockade of the

25th February 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA  State pushes to raise debt ceiling to Sh13 trillion in chaotic session Parliament has asked the Treasury to increase the debt ceiling to allow it to borrow Sh846 billion to plug the budget deficit in the next financial year. Majority Leader Amos Kimunya successfully

18th February 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA  Joint Statement of the Heads of Competition Authorities Dialogue on Regulation of Digital Markets The Heads of Competition Authorities of the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA); the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK); the Competition Commission of Mauritius (Competition Commission); The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection

11th February 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA CBK tests market with digital Kenya shilling The proposed Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) digital currency will for the first time allow Kenyans to directly keep cash at the apex bank, placing it in direct competition with commercial banks for deposits. The Kenyan version

4th February 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA  Firms slow down on hiring for first time in nine months Kenyan firms in January slashed expenditure on workers for the first time in nine months, citing a sharp fall in sales compared with December amid the Omicron threat. Findings of Stanbic Bank Kenya’s

28th January 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Treasury to pay part of defaulted mobile phone loans The Treasury will guarantee mobile phone loans given to small traders in a bid to increase supply of credit under a scheme where the State will also pay part of the defaulted loans. Mobile phone-based

21st January 2022 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Banks risk Sh27bn as mortgage, matatu loan defaults jump 60pc Car and homeowners defaulted on loans totalling Sh27.8 billion in the 12 months to September last year, giving a peek into the nightmare that the two sectors have become for banks amidst the Covid-19

17th December 2021 Trade & Financial Services Round Up

KENYA  Oil companies to get Sh8bn for unchanged fuel prices The State will pay oil marketers an estimated Sh8.12 billion ($71.8m) for keeping fuel prices unchanged in the monthly review that will lapse on January 15. Compensation for diesel will be highest at Sh4.82 billion

Sustainability Reporting: Shifting from Voluntary To Business Survival Requirement

In 2015, the Paris Agreement became an international pact by some of the United Nations members to put mechanisms and measures to ensure the world reaches a global peak of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to achieve a climate-neutral world by mid-century. Also,

The year in review: Highlights on key legislative interventions that impacted the private sector

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

The Huduma Bill 2020; Impacts on Private Sector Enterprises

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

3rd December 2021 Financial and Trade Services Round Up

KENYA Shilling hits all-time low of 112.5 to dollar The shilling has declined to a new all-time low of 112.5 against the dollar as importers increase demand for the greenback with the economy recovering from the impact of the pandemic. Reuters quoted the shilling at

26th November 2021 Financial & Trade Services Round Up

KENYA Shilling weakens further on rising dollar demand  The shilling ceded further ground to the dollar Wednesday, November 24, trading at a new low of 112.38 units amid the end of month demand for dollars from importers even as supply remained low. It has shed

19th November 2021 Trade and Financial Services Round Up

KENYA CBK Takes Baby Steps Towards Launch of Digital Currency (Source: Business today) Kenya is exploring the possibility of developing and launching a central bank digital currency (CBDC) to settle cross-border payments, as it seeks to advance the shift to a cashless economy and secure transactions.

29th October 2021 Trade and Financial Services Round Up 

KENYA Kenya slides in credit default rules enforcement survey (Source: Business Daily) Kenya’s failure to enforce rules to reduce credit default risks locking out local and foreign investors in the financial market and reduce the country’s attractiveness for investment, a report has shown. The Absa

22nd October 2021 Trade and Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Auditor queries CBK law breach over board members (Source: Business Daily) Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has once again raised concerns over Central Bank of Kenya’s (CBK) legal breach operating with seven instead of 11 directors and the absence of a second deputy governor. Ms Gathungu