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

President Ruto clips CS Mutua wings in foreign policy shift

Kenya President Ruto clips CS Mutua wings in foreign policy shift President William Ruto’s government has announced a major shift in the country’s foreign policy by allowing other countries and their missions in Kenya to engage directly with ministries and state agencies, without going through

President Ruto clips CS Mutua wings in foreign policy shift

Kenya President Ruto clips CS Mutua wings in foreign policy shift President William Ruto’s government has announced a major shift in the country’s foreign policy by allowing other countries and their missions in Kenya to engage directly with ministries and state agencies, without going through

24th February 2023 Trade and Financial Services Round Up

Kenya  KRA chief Githii Mburu quits, board names Rispah Simiyu in acting role The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner-General, Githii Mburu, has resigned after a three-year and seven month stint at the seat on the 30th floor of Nairobi’s Times Tower. Recently appointed KRA board

24th February 2023 Political and Regulatory Round Up

Kenya Revealed: How President Ruto got Raila ‘fired’ from AU job Yesterday, what was not contested was the announcement that Mr Odinga’s tenure as the commission’s high representative for infrastructure development in Africa had ended after nearly five years. But a cloud of controversy swirled

Inside Kenya’s Public Debt Dynamics and the Medium Term Debt Management Strategy (MTDS), 2023

  The “Why” of Debt Pre-cursorily, debt is indeed a double-edged sword. Wise and moderate use of the same, history has shown, results in improved welfare. Improper, imprudent and over-indulgence in debt, may end up being calamitous. On one hand, for households, individuals and private

17th February 2023 Trade and Financial Services Round Up

Kenya Nairobi plans new zoning policy as exclusivity wanes Nairobi is considering a new zoning policy, which will reclassify some estates as residential or mixed-use neighbourhoods at a time some suburbs are coming under pressure from a previous reclassification that has hurt their exclusivity. Speaking

3rd February Trade and Financial Services Round Up

Kenya EPRA reveals second plan to increase cost of power The Water Resources and Management Authority (WARMA) is the latest State entity to seek a bigger pie of the electricity bills in what looks set to further increase the cost of power. WARMA has applied

27th January 2023 Trade and Financial Services Round Up

Kenya Banks’ Sh224bn record profits signal bonus, dividends boom Banks’ pre-tax profits for 11 months to November last year hit a record Sh223.7 billion on increased lending, setting the stage for a dividend windfall for owners when full-year results are announced in March. Central Bank

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

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

16th December 2022 Trade and Financial Services Round Up

Kenya KRA in dilemma over Ruto directive on seizing property The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) faces a legal dilemma in the wake of President William Ruto’s directive to the taxman to go slow on issuing distress orders that trigger asset seizures of suspected tax evaders.

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,

Benefits of Kenya-South Africa bilateral trade agreements

Kenya and South Africa have enjoyed cordial relations since post-apartheid when resident diplomatic missions in Kenya and other countries were reopened. The cordial relations between the two countries were bolstered on 5 August, 2003, where the parties agreed to sign a Declaration of Intent on

28th October 2022 Trade and Financial Services Round Up

Kenya Uber, Bolt and Little drivers demand commission cut Taxi drivers signed up on Uber Kenya, Little and Bolt platforms Thursday went on strike in a bid to push the firms to lower the commission charged on fares. Uber charges a 25 percent commission per

21st October 2022 Trade and Financial Round Up

Kenya President Ruto to reverse Uhuru’s termination of JKIA deal President William Ruto’s administration plans to revive the Sh56 billion airport tender cancelled eight years ago, reversing another major infrastructure decision by former President Uhuru Kenyatta. Roads, Transport and Public Works Cabinet Secretary nominee Kipchumba

14th October 2022 Trade and Financial Services Round Up

KENYA Treasury disowns official papers on Sh1.3bn China fine for SGR loans The Treasury Thursday disowned an official statement indicating that Chinese lenders penalised Kenya Sh1.312 billion for delayed payments of loans provided to build the standard gauge railway (SGR). Treasury Secretary Ukur Yatani maintained

7th Octoberr 2022 Trade and Financial Services Round Up

ANDA Rwanda, EU sign Rwf72.5 billion deal for climate-resilient agriculture The Government of Rwanda and the European Union signed a financing agreement worth €69 million (approx.Rwf72.5 billion) to support climate-smart and inclusive agriculture, on October 6. The three-year financing agreement will be implemented in two

23 September Trade and Financial Services Round Up

Kenya Treasury asks MPs to unlock Sh39bn county allocations The National Treasury has asked the new Parliament to reintroduce and fast-track a Bill that will unlock Sh39 billion in additional allocations to county governments. Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani said the delayed approval of the

16th September 2022 Trade and Financial Services Round Up

KENYA State saves Sh9.4 billion from scrapped fuel subsidy The Treasury will save an estimated Sh9.49 billion from the partial withdrawal of fuel subsidies that sent diesel and petrol prices to a historic high. The energy regulator scrapped the subsidy on petrol a day after

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

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

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

What August 9th General Election means to the East African Community

Kenya’s electioneering season is now in its final stretch. On August 9, voters will head to polling stations across the country and in the diaspora to cast their votes. A peaceful General Election in Kenya will strengthen regional stability. The country needs a leader who

The AU Data Policy Framework: Africa’s solution to data emancipation?

The data policy framework for African countries seeks to maximise the benefits of a data-driven economy by creating an enabling policy environment for private and public investments necessary to support data-driven value creation and innovation.  The document, if implemented accordingly, will increase data policy harmonisation

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

The scramble for the 90 million strong market

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

Private Sector Engagement in the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

The World’s largest Free Trade Area is finally here with us covering a market of 1.27bn people with a combined GDP of 3.4 trillion US dollars. The region does enter the agreement with great momentum around trade: Exports have grown by nearly a factor of

COVID-19: Global trade value chains, taxation, and recovery

Ideally, removing the non-tariff barriers that remain the biggest hindrance to continental trade can foster regional integration, which must play a key role in the crisis recovery strategies in Africa.

FTA Series – Part 3: What you need to know about the COMESA Digital Free Trade Area

COMESA is the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. In 2018, they agreed to establish a Digital Free Trade Area (DFTA). The initiative that upon inception was expected to create a $17.2 billion-worth market for member states is an online platform for trade facilitation

FTA Series – Part 2: African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement

The AfCFTA offers a unique opportunity to develop an inclusive trade system and economic model by increasing intra-continental trade; but in order to trade, Africa first has to produce; and not just primary commodities. However, the AfCFTA will only promote intra-African trade if governments actually implement it

FTA Series – Part 1: What you need to know

A population estimated at 1.3 billion predominantly made up of young people and with an
abundance of natural resources, Africa presents market opportunities, a growing labour force
and raw materials for manufacturing.