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How data, not declarations, is now driving tax compliance in Kenya

Earlier this year, thousands of Kenyans received an unusual text message from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). Although they had filed nil tax returns, KRA’s records showed they had earned income and informed them that a pre-populated return was ready for filing.

No auditor had visited. No inquiry had been made. The system had simply compared what taxpayers declared with information already held from other sources.

That message captured a profound shift in Kenya’s tax administration.

The law still rests on self-assessment, with taxpayers declaring their income and the Commissioner retaining the power to verify it. In practice, however, compliance is increasingly determined not by what taxpayers report but by whether their declarations match the growing web of third-party data available to KRA.

At the centre of this transformation is the Electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS), which gives KRA near real-time visibility of business transactions.

Sales, purchases and VAT invoices are captured electronically, while expenses lacking valid electronic invoices are increasingly disallowed for tax purposes.

Returns filed through iTax are now cross-checked against this data, making tax filing less of a declaration and more of a confirmation exercise.

The information pool extends far beyond invoices. Customs records reveal imports, withholding VAT agents independently report taxable transactions, employers submit monthly PAYE returns, while company registry records link directors to businesses.

Amendments introduced through the Finance Act 2026 further empower KRA to generate assessments using existing data and issue pre-populated returns, reducing reliance on voluntary disclosures.

Kenya is not alone. Around the world, tax authorities are embracing data-driven administration to improve compliance and target evasion more efficiently. Honest taxpayers should welcome systems that reduce arbitrary audits and level the playing field.

Yet data is not infallible. Duplicate invoices, incorrect PINs, timing differences and supplier errors can all produce inaccurate assessments. Although taxpayers retain the right to object, the burden of proving the data wrong still falls largely on them.

As enforcement becomes increasingly automated, robust mechanisms for correcting erroneous records become just as important as stronger assessment powers.

The timing is also revealing. KRA is simultaneously offering a tax amnesty through December 2026 while expanding data-driven enforcement. The message is unmistakable: voluntary compliance is being encouraged before technology assumes the lead role.

Compliance is no longer an annual exercise completed at filing season.

It has become a continuous process of ensuring that invoices, customs declarations, payroll records and supplier information tell the same story.

The tax return is no longer the beginning of the conversation. It is the final reconciliation of information that KRA has, in large part, already assembled.

The greatest governance risk: When Boards think they know it all

The Corporate Governance Institute recently posed a question that cuts to the heart of modern directorship: What is the single greatest governance risk facing Boards today? My answer, after over 25 years of serving on Boards across banking, listed companies, public institutions, and multinational organisations, aligns with Guy Mallabone’s perspective: strategic irrelevance and also know-it-all attitude. Not fraud, not regulatory penalties, not even a cyber attack-though all can be devastating. The most serious governance failure occurs when a Board becomes so focused on managing yesterday’s risks that it fails to recognise tomorrow’s realities, often because it has stopped learning. A Board can be fully compliant, receive clean audit reports, and conduct regular reviews, yet still fail if it loses the ability to anticipate change. The greatest danger is a Board that performs its duties diligently while becoming intellectually disconnected from the world around it, harbouring the quiet, corrosive belief that it already knows everything. Recent research by The Corporate Governance Institute highlights this very challenge, revealing a widening gap between Boardroom confidence and Board readiness. While many directors express confidence in their overall effectiveness, significant gaps remain in their preparedness to navigate emerging risks such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, ESG expectations, and regulatory complexity.

Governance has moved beyond compliance

When many of us first entered Boardrooms, governance was largely viewed through a compliance lens: approving budgets, reviewing financial statements, monitoring controls, and ensuring regulatory obligations were met. Those responsibilities remain essential, but they are no longer enough. Today’s directors operate under unprecedented scrutiny from shareholders, regulators, employees, customers, the media, Gen Z and society at large. Boards are expected not only to provide oversight but also to demonstrate foresight and leadership.

The modern Board agenda

The modern Board agenda must address cyber security threats and the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence; geopolitical uncertainty and shifting economic realities; climate risks and sustainability expectations; talent shortages and workforce transformation; and the challenge of balancing stakeholder expectations with long-term value creation-all in an environment where information is often incomplete and decisions must be made at speed.

The Social Media accelerant

One of the biggest changes in governance has been the rise of social media. Previous generations of directors never faced an environment where a single incident-whether accurate, exaggerated, misunderstood, or entirely false-could spread globally within minutes. A reputation built over decades can be damaged in hours. The challenge is not simply responding quickly; it is responding responsibly. Boards must separate facts from speculation, communicate with clarity, and protect stakeholder confidence while ensuring every word is legally sound. Misinformation often travels faster than the truth, and directors are expected to act immediately, even as every response must withstand intense scrutiny. Traditional governance frameworks were not designed for this speed and complexity. The defining capability of future Boards will therefore be not just knowledge, but judgement under uncertainty.

What future-ready Boards do differently

Future-ready Boards do not merely review history. Research shows that they interrogate the future. This means rethinking priorities. Financial performance and compliance remain critical, but they should not dominate the agenda. More time must be devoted to deeper questions: What assumptions are we making today that may no longer hold true tomorrow? Are we creating tomorrow’s businesses or simply protecting yesterday’s? Do we have the Talent capable of navigating an uncertain future? What risks are we prepared to take, and are they aligned with our strategy and stakeholder expectations ?Most importantly, strong Boards normally encourage constructive challenge and create an environment where directors can ask difficult questions without fear. The first sign of an irrelevant Board is often not disagreement, but silence-and the moment it stops learning.

The most serious governance failure occurs when a Board becomes so focused on managing yesterday’s risks that it fails to recognise tomorrow’s realities, often because it has stopped learning

Stewardship in a changing world

The greatest evolution I have witnessed in governance is the shift from narrow shareholder oversight to broader stewardship. Boards are no longer judged only by the decisions they make, but by how quickly they identify emerging threats, how transparently they respond during crises, and how effectively they protect the organisation’s most valuable intangible asset: trust. Financial losses can be recovered, strategies can be changed, and brands can be rebuilt. But trust, once damaged, is exceptionally difficult to restore.

Keep learning

The Boards that succeed in the next decade will not be those with the longest governance manuals or the most detailed compliance checklists. They will be the Boards that remain curious, humble, and strategically and intellectually restless. Perhaps the greatest governance risk of all is not the failure to anticipate change, but the dangerous belief among directors that they already know everything. The moment a Board stops learning, questioning, and challenging its own assumptions is the moment it begins to lose relevance. In an era of relentless disruption, the greatest governance risk is not making the wrong decision. It is realising, too late, that the Board stopped asking the right questions while the answers still mattered for the future.

Malami and the attack on Buhari’s myth

Not a few Nigerians attributed Buhari’s failure as a leader to his adoption of ‘delegation by abdication’ management approach to governance but not many are aware that betrayals by his closest northern allies with mind-set of feudal lords actually tested his trust in humanity.

His integrity, sense of justice and pan-Nigeria outlook was what was exploited by self-serving ethnic irredentists; Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha and Aliyu Gusau who installed him head of state after their 1983 coup against Shehu Shagari. It was the same strategy with Ahmadu Bello installing Tafawa Balewa Prime Minister in 1959 and Murtala Muhammed installing Gowon as head of state in 1966.

The parallel soon became obvious with the war of fifth columnists in Buhari’s regime against southern politicians. It was also Buhari’s commitment to faithful implementation of a pan Nigerian policy, the rejection of IMF loan that led to his replacement in a palace coup by Babangida. And it was not long before the self-styled ‘Maradona’ betrayed the tendencies he served, when after taking the IMF loan, he took Nigeria to World Islamic Congress without consultation, banned old political parties and old politicians and went on to annul the June 12 1993 MKO Abiola’s pan-Nigeria mandate. This was followed by Abacha’s five-year brutal war against Nigerians who insisted on justice and equity.

Buhari’s attempt to transit from a military head of state to elected leader taught him a lesson about the character of the forces holding Nigeria to ransom. They all share a mind-set of feudal lords while using those who look up to them for leadership and direction as expendable cannon fodder.

He was twice betrayed by his chosen vice presidential candidates, Chuba Okadigbo and Edwin Ume Ezeoke, Speaker of the lower house(1979-83). They both at different election seasons abandoned him in the court to join the ruling northern-dominated PDP party. He thereafter wept openly swearing never to again participate in politics.

It was Bola Tinubu who brought him out of retirement, reassured him of victory through mobilization of southwest votes, to augment his consistent cult-like 12m vote haul of northern ‘Talakawas’.

Although Buhari won, he was haunted by his distrust in Nigerian politicians. He therefore took refuge under those who stood by him when others betrayed him. And they happened to be Mamman Daura, his senior nephew, Abba Kyari, his Chief of Staff and Abubakar Malami, who according to Dr Junaid Mohammed, a second republic member of House or Representatives, who never held hostages, was ‘a Kano charge and bail lawyer’. His appointment as Minister of Justice came as a payback for prosecuting Buhari’s election cases, pro bono, at a time Buhai had no money to hire lawyers.

But Buhari’s trusted allies were self-serving ethnic irredentists. It was therefore not a surprise that in line with the philosophy of Niccolo Machiavelli, the Italian renaissance political philosopher and apostle of politics of distrust, Buhari’s first victims were those on whose back he rode to power. His wife cried foul over the take-over of APC government by those who were not conversant with APC manifesto. Nasir El Rufai and opposition PDP members embarked on a mission of misinformation about how Buhari won on his own merit.

Those he entrusted with power did not spare Ibrahim Magu, the EFCC chairman who was only out to faithfully implement Buhari’s campaign main agenda of ensuring ‘we kill corruption before corruption kills us’. Junaid Mohammed alleged that Magu stepped on their toes by freezing Jide Omokore’s oil company in which they have interest but believed to have been used under Petroleum Minister Diezani Maduike to fleece Nigeria of billions of dollars.

Mohammed believed it was the reason Magu was never confirmed as EFCC chairman despite accusation by Itse Sagay, chairman, the Presidential Advisory Committee Against corruption (PACAC) that his non-confirmation by the senate was ‘corruption fighting back’; aside the protest by a northern group over his non-confirmation, Debo Adeniran, executive chairman of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders CACOL) would declare that ‘failure of the senate to confirm Magu was ‘shameless and disgraceful’.

It is also on record that Malami sacked and humiliated Magu out of office over sharing of recovered assets made up of 270 properties comprising of real estate and motor vehicles, one of which is a mansion worth N1b, situated at 42 Gang Street Maitama, Abuja. ‘The properties as we speak have been shared among top officials of the commission, friends and family members including lawyers of the agency’, he lamented.

Magu was however vindicated when it was discovered he was framed up and was promoted AIG by Nigeria Police Service Commission shortly before his retirement in 2022.

The first suspicion that Malami was serving self in Buhari’s government first emerged when he was accused of attempting ‘through some subterranean connection to quash the fine imposed on MTN by government regulator, the National Communication Commission MTN’. He seemed to have given credence to this speculation with his unapproved trip to Dubai to have a secret meeting with Abdulrasheed Maina, a fugitive offender already indicted by National Assembly probe over a theft of N195b of pension’s savings.

Testifying before Senator Emmanuel Paulker’s committee, upon his return, Malalmi spoke of existence of ‘a pension fund fraud syndicate in Nigeria, made up of Maina, and highly placed retired and current political office holders… ‘.He put the total amount stolen and laundered at N14, 374,236,846.09.

This however did not stop Malami from sending letters to Winifred Eyo Ita, Head of the Civil Service (HoCSF) and acting chairman of the Federal civil Service Commission, Joseph Oluremi, directing them to reabsorb Maina back into the bureaucracy as acting director.

Buhari had during an interview by ARISE group anchored by Reuben Abati said he was obliged to listen the advice of his Minister of Justice. Tragically, Malami misled the president on most issues including grazing routes which became restricted to the north after independence and equating infiltration of reserved southern forest by armed terrorist to Igbo traders in northern urban centres.

With the current spate of kidnapping of school children, teachers in Kwara, Ondo and Oyo, it is now obvious Malami ethnic agenda was to export social dislocation in the north to the south.

Besides serving other tendencies, we need no further evidence that Malami, was also out to serve self than last Wednesday with Justice Joyce Abdulmalik’s ordering of forfeiture of his ill-acquired 48 properties because ‘Malami, some members of his family and others who claimed ownership failed to rebut the reasonable suspicion that the assets were acquired through unlawful activities’.

Buhari’s greatest assets include his integrity and patriotism. That myth is what his most trusted allies including, Malami, his son-in law have now brought under serious scrutiny.

Why dead cat strategy is bad for Kenya

Friends are usually surprised by my distaste for political banter. True, I have been an MP and a governor, but I prefer ideas that can transform society, to political gossip.

This frustrates a group of young leaders with whom I interact. My insistence that good politics must have standards, and that the end does not always justify the means, seems lofty to them. My conviction that politics must go beyond name-calling, solve problems and improve living standards seems unattainable.

They quote Machiavelli, who argued that a politician cannot be judged with the same morality as a commoner. I’m a leader not a politician, I protest, as they point to a growing trend.

Using outlandish and controversial topics, Kenyan politicians push the public and media to debate the shock factor, rather than focusing on key issues such as unemployment and the cost of living.

This tactic is called the dead cat strategy.

Popularised by former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Australian political strategist Lynton Crosby, the dead cat strategy is a political communications manoeuvre that introduces a sensational, controversial topic to divert public attention away from a more critical or damaging issue.

If you are losing an argument, or the facts are against you, throw a dead cat onto the dining table mate, Crosby famously advised Johnson. Everyone will immediately recoil, and start talking about the cat, instantly making them forget about the previous, uncomfortable conversation.

The point is distraction. The injected topic must be outrageous or highly emotional, to guarantee immediate media coverage and public outrage. The goal is to flood the news cycle with the new, controllable controversy so that the original issue-such as a policy failure or ethical lapse-slips by, unnoticed.

Coming into prominent view in the early 2010s, the concept is not new. Sample this: From the 19th century practice of using smelly smoked fish to throw hunting hounds off a scent trail, the ‘red herring’ became the definitive literary and political term for introducing an irrelevant topic, to divert attention from the real issue. The trick and word, are now in common usage.

‘Wag the Dog’, made popular by a 1997 movie of the same title, is a political term for creating a diversion such as an international military crisis, or foreign policy spectacle, to shift domestic media attention away from a severe political scandal at home. This is common in US and European politics.

Politicians know that public attention span is limited, and thus have, since Roman emperors, provided everything from free food to entertainment, to distract the populace from vexing political issues. They manufacture consent, Noam Chomsky argued in 1989, by staging unmissable spectacles that quietly push unfavorable policies off-stage.

Kenya’s politics is similar. It is structured around ethnic mobilisation rather than ideological or policy differences. Instead of competing on economic, healthcare, or education platforms, politicians build tribal coalitions to win elections. Ethnicity is a dead cat.

In a game of chameleon politics, parties change names and alliances every election cycle, based on tribal math, not shared ideology or policy goals. As voters, we prioritise representation over pressing issues, supporting co-ethnics out of fear of exclusion from government programs. This ‘our turn to eat’ thinking is common political speak.

There are, however, signs of a transition to issue-based politics. Kenya’s urbanised, tech-savvy youth are moving away from traditional ethnic patterns, using social media to organise around governance issues.

The 2024 youth-led revolt, and shifting economic pressures, demonstrate a growing public demand for accountability over tribal loyalty. Voters are beginning to unite around economic issues rather than tribal identity.

As late president Mwai Kibaki says in a viral clip, economic hardships like stagnant real incomes, unemployment, and high cost of living, have no tribal dimension.

Further, county-level debates are forcing gubernatorial and county legislative politicians to address specific local issues including jobs, healthcare, agriculture, and water access. Citizens are making comparisons.

While ‘dog bites man’ is a poor headline, the media should aide the transition by shifting coverage from sensational political elite melodramas, to rigorous, data-driven debates analysing the feasibility of candidate promises.

And buyer beware. As the 2027 elections beckon, dead cats are everywhere. Goonism and calls for a tourism and investment boycott are but two examples!

Ceylon Chamber flags policy, grid reforms to speed up renewable energy transition

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has called for policy consistency, streamlined approvals, and stronger investment frameworks to accelerate Sri Lanka’s transition towards renewable energy, as rising electricity demand increases the need for a more secure and sustainable power system.

In a statement yesterday following a forum titled ‘Energy Transition in Sri Lanka: Strategic Insights from Global Markets,’ The Ceylon Chamber said stakeholders from the Government, industry, academia, and the energy sector had identified renewable energy expansion, particularly solar power, as a priority area requiring coordinated reforms.

The discussion highlighted the need to strengthen purchase tariffs, procurement mechanisms, and distributed renewable energy development to encourage private investment, improve grid stability, and reduce transmission losses, according to The Chamber.

Participants identified policy uncertainty, lengthy approval processes, land acquisition difficulties, grid constraints, and project implementation delays as key barriers slowing renewable energy deployment.

The Chamber said stakeholders emphasised the importance of a stable and predictable policy environment, efficient regulatory processes, and improved institutional coordination to enhance investor confidence and accelerate project delivery.

The forum also examined financing mechanisms and electricity sector reforms required to support future investment, with net metering and feed-in arrangements recognised as important tools to encourage commercial and industrial users to adopt solar power by allowing surplus electricity to be supplied back to the grid.

Participants also highlighted the need to improve access to financing, develop bankable project structures, and address financial sustainability concerns, including timely payments to renewable energy developers.

Energy storage systems were identified as a critical component in integrating higher levels of renewable energy into the national grid, with stakeholders pointing to the need for technical standards, safety frameworks, financing mechanisms, and market structures to support adoption.

The Chamber said the discussion also focused on the broader economic implications of the energy transition, noting that electricity demand is expected to increase with the expansion of digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles (EVs), and data centres.

Stakeholders stressed the need to modernise energy infrastructure through intelligent grids and emerging technologies to support long-term economic competitiveness.

The forum also highlighted the importance of developing human capital through stronger collaboration between industry and academia, expanded technical training, and greater local expertise in renewable energy and storage technologies.

The Ceylon Chamber said achieving Sri Lanka’s renewable energy ambitions would require coordinated action across policy, regulation, financing, and infrastructure development.

Organised cash crop theft hurting plantations

The Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA) yesterday said that it has called on the Government to treat the systematic theft of high-value agricultural crops as a serious economic threat, warning that unchecked losses are deterring investment, eroding export competitiveness, and putting the livelihoods of farmers at risk.

Across Sri Lanka’s plantation districts, the organised theft of pepper, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, avocado, and other high-value crops has reached a scale that the industry says can no longer be dismissed as an isolated or manageable problem, the PA said.

Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) and smallholder growers have reported increasing losses that wipe out entire seasons of work and companies are spending tens of millions of rupees on security that cuts directly into their ability to compete internationally. The Association said in several cases, farmers and estate managers have abandoned expansion plans for high-value crops entirely after concluding that the returns cannot justify the risk.

The Association estimates that crop losses across the sector may be running into millions, though it is now seeking formally verified data from members to establish the true figure. What is already clear, the Association said, is that the financial damage extends well beyond the stolen harvest itself.

Theft operations are organised and deliberate. Association members report that incidents cluster around the full moon, when natural light allows groups to work through fields without torches. A well-coordinated team can strip a section of cinnamon in two to three hours, clear a cardamom plot in a single pass, or harvest 40 to 50 kilos of pepper from a single vine before dawn. Once the crop leaves the field and enters informal supply channels, it is effectively untraceable.

The PA said that one company is currently spending approximately Rs. 20 million to protect a single crop over a three-month period. Those costs do not appear in any Government measure of agricultural competitiveness, but they are real and recurring and they fall entirely on the producer. For estates already competing against lower-cost producers in Vietnam, India, and Kenya, this adds further strain, with RPCs losing revenue and the State losing tax income as a result.

The PA pointed to pepper as a crop where the damage to investor confidence has been most visible. Several growers who had begun trialling pepper, a high-value crop with strong export potential, have pulled back from expansion after sustained theft on their plots. Cardamom has been similarly affected. One company that committed to planting 18 hectares spent several years deploying watchers and security personnel before concluding that the cost was unsustainable. The project was not extended.

The Government has publicly committed to growing Sri Lanka’s agricultural exports and attracting investment into the sector. The Association’s position is that this goal cannot be achieved while the conditions on the ground make high-value crop production an unacceptable risk for growers.

Agricultural theft is a criminal offence under existing Sri Lankan law. The Association’s concern is that the penalties attached to that offence bear no relation to its economic consequences. In many cases, a fraction of the value of what was stolen provides no meaningful deterrent to repeat offenders. When the punishment is cheaper than the crime, the law becomes ineffective.

Technology has so far failed to fill the gap. CCTV systems are defeated by power cuts. Fingerprint entry controls have been circumvented. Drones face practical obstacles in shade-grown and wind-exposed terrain. The infrastructure installed to protect crops, including fencing and other equipment, has itself become a target for theft.

Accordingly, the PA called on the Government to revise and effectively enforce the penalties for agricultural theft so that fines and sentences reflect the actual value of the crops stolen and create a genuine deterrent. The PA also called for the development of a traceability framework for high-value produce within informal supply chains, so that stolen crops can be identified and prosecuted once they leave the field. Lastly, the Association called for the formal recognition of crop theft in national agricultural policy and the allocation of resources to enforcement accordingly.

The PA is also collecting verified data from its members on the scale of losses across both smallholder and estate operations, and intends to present this to the relevant Government Ministries.

“Sri Lanka has the climate, the land, and the agricultural knowledge to be a serious player in high-value crop exports. But we cannot build that future if a farmer can spend nine months on a crop and lose everything the night before he is paid. This is not a minor inconvenience. It is a structural problem that needs a structural response,” the PA said.

Beyond the Awards: How NASENI is Building a Culture of Excellence Amongst Staff to Drive Nigeria’s Industrial Future

For many organisations, staff award ceremonies are little more than annual rituals. Employees gather in colourful attire, plaques are presented, photographs are taken and the lights go out until another year. But at the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), the 2025 Staff Motivation and Reward Night represented something much deeper than an evening of celebration.

Held in Abuja on Saturday, July 19, 2026, the event demonstrated how the Agency is deliberately building a performance-driven staff culture where innovation, professionalism and commitment are recognised as essential ingredients for national development. More importantly, it reflects NASENI’s broader transformation agenda-one that seeks to reposition science, engineering and technology as the backbone of Nigeria’s industrialisation drive under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

With the theme, ‘Celebrating Excellence, Inspiring Commitment,’ the gathering brought together management, staff, retired officers, heads of institutes and stakeholders to honour those whose efforts contributed to what the Agency described as one of its most successful operational year.

In his keynote address, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, reminded staff that the occasion was not simply about trophies and certificates. Rather, he described it as a celebration of the people whose commitment has powered the Agency’s remarkable transformation over the past three years.

Although the ceremony came later than originally scheduled, Halilu noted that excellence never loses its value, stressing that good work deserves recognition whenever it is celebrated. According to him, the achievements recorded across the Agency were possible because thousands of staff members had embraced a common vision of innovation, professionalism and service.

His remarks reflected a growing philosophy within NASENI-that people remain the Agency’s greatest asset. Rather than viewing employees merely as administrators or engineers, management sees them as innovators capable of designing solutions to some of Nigeria’s biggest developmental challenges. That philosophy is gradually reshaping the Agency’s internal culture.

Central to NASENI’s transformation strategy are what Halilu described as the three 3Cs-Creation, Collaboration and Commercialisation. The first pillar (Creation) focuses on creating technologies that directly solve Nigerian problems instead of relying on imported alternatives. The second (Collaboration) encourages partnerships between government institutions, the private sector, academia and international organisations to accelerate technological development. The third (Commercialisation) ensures that innovations do not remain inside research laboratories but are successfully commercialised for widespread use.

Taken together, the 3Cs principles have become the framework guiding virtually every programme currently being implemented by NASENI. They also align closely with President Tinubu’s industrialisation agenda, which places significant emphasis on local production, job creation, technology transfer and economic diversification.

Perhaps the strongest evidence of the Agency’s transformation lies in its growing portfolio of commercially viable products. According to Halilu, NASENI has now developed more than 44 Made-in-Nigeria products capable of competing in the marketplace. These include locally assembled laptops and smartphones, solar-powered irrigation pumps, electric tricycles and several other technologies designed to improve productivity while reducing dependence on imported products.

The emphasis is no longer on conducting research merely for academic purposes. Instead, innovations are increasingly being designed with commercial viability in mind. This represents a significant shift from the traditional perception of government research agencies. Rather than ending with prototype development, NASENI is now placing equal emphasis on manufacturing, market access and sustainability.

Such an approach not only promotes indigenous technology but also stimulates local industries and creates employment opportunities for Nigerian youths. The transformation extends beyond products. NASENI is also investing heavily in infrastructure capable of supporting long-term industrial development. One of the flagship projects highlighted by Halilu is the ongoing 40-hectare NASENI Solar Industrial Park located in Gora, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

When fully operational, the industrial park is expected to serve as a major manufacturing hub for renewable energy technologies while attracting private sector investment into clean energy production. It reflects a broader strategy of developing industrial clusters that combine manufacturing, research and innovation within one ecosystem.

Beyond supporting local production, the facility will reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported renewable energy equipment while creating thousands of employment opportunities. It also reinforces NASENI’s ambition of becoming a leading driver of green industrialisation across Africa. The Agency’s programmes increasingly demonstrate that technology is most valuable when it improves people’s lives.

One notable initiative is DELT-Her, a programme specifically designed to support women engineers and innovators. According to the NASENI EVC, the initiative has already disbursed more than N229 million in grants to female engineers, helping bridge the gender gap in science, engineering and technology.

Another intervention, the Irrigate Nigeria Programme, alongside NASENI’s Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Development Institutes (AMEDIs), has contributed to the creation of over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs while promoting mechanised agriculture. These interventions illustrate how science and engineering can directly address unemployment, food security and inclusive economic growth. They also demonstrate that technological advancement is not only about machines but about empowering people and communities.

As countries across the world pursue economic growth while confronting climate change, NASENI is positioning itself to ensure Nigeria is not left behind. Halilu highlighted the Agency’s Zero Carbon Project and expanding electric mobility initiatives as evidence that industrialisation and environmental sustainability can progress together. The programmes aim to promote cleaner technologies capable of reducing emissions while encouraging the local production of environmentally friendly transportation systems.

NASENI is equally preparing for future technological disruptions through plans to establish a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Unit. The proposed unit is expected to strengthen research in emerging technologies while supporting the development of competitive Nigerian alternatives to imported digital solutions. Together, these initiatives signal an organisation looking beyond present challenges and positioning itself for the industries of tomorrow.

While the agency’s achievements are impressive, management insists they would mean little without recognising the people behind them. That philosophy shaped the motivation and reward night. Addressing the award recipients, Halilu congratulated them for demonstrating professionalism, innovation, discipline and commitment while reminding them that excellence is not a destination but a standard that must continually be maintained.

He equally assured staff that management would continue investing in professional development, staff welfare, merit-based recognition and opportunities for career advancement. Such commitments have become increasingly important within public institutions where motivation often determines productivity. By rewarding performance publicly, NASENI hopes to encourage healthy competition while strengthening institutional loyalty.

The evening featured recognition across virtually every operational department of the Agency. Barrister Hussaina Shehu emerged as the Overall Staff of the Year, recognition reserved for the individual whose contributions stood out across the organisation. In an emotional reaction, she described the honour as a pleasant surprise and thanked management for giving her the opportunity to contribute to NASENI’s mandate.

She described the agency’s performance over the past three years as exceptional and encouraged colleagues to remain committed to excellence, expressing confidence that hard work would always receive recognition. The event also honoured staff from Finance, Administration, Manufacturing Services, Technical Services, Procurement, Information, Planning, Policy, Research, Engineering, Nanoscience, Audit and several other departments.

Another notable moment came when staff themselves presented the Staff Choice Award to Halilu in recognition of his leadership and contributions to the agency’s transformation. One of the most inspiring moments of the evening came through the presentation by the NASENI Good Vibes Team.

Rather than focusing on senior executives alone, the team recognised individuals whose daily commitment often goes unnoticed but remains critical to the smooth functioning of the organisation. Among those honoured were Mr. Ibrahim Hassan, a senior motor mechanic recognised for his exceptional driving skills and safety consciousness.

Others are: Mrs. Adebimpe Mary Akirinlade, Head of Registry, celebrated for her responsiveness and administrative efficiency; and Engr. Alhassan Isa Usman, Director of Maintenance, whose leadership has transformed maintenance operations at the Agency’s headquarters. Their recognition reinforces an important message; that excellence is not defined by rank or designation but by the quality of service rendered every day. It is a philosophy capable of inspiring employees across every cadre to contribute their best toward organisational success.

Chairperson of the Planning Committee, Mrs. Nonye Onyechi, who doubles as Coordinating Director, Planning and Business Development, captured the spirit of the evening in her closing remarks. She reminded staff that whether or not they received awards, every employee remained an important part of the NASENI family.

According to her, the event was about celebrating unity, resilience and collective achievement. She urged award recipients to view the recognition as greater responsibility, noting that ‘the reward for hard work is more work.’ Her message reflected an organisational culture where appreciation goes beyond ceremonial recognition to building stronger institutional commitment and teamwork.

She also commended the Executive Vice Chairman for supporting initiative that recognises and celebrates excellence within the Agency. As Nigeria seeks to diversify its economy beyond oil, institutions like NASENI are increasingly expected to provide the technological backbone needed for sustainable industrial growth. Machines, factories and research centres are essential.

But behind every innovation are people whose creativity, discipline and commitment determine whether ideas become national success stories. The NASENI 2025 Staff Motivation and Reward Night therefore represented more than an internal corporate event. It reflected an institution deliberately investing in its human capital while building a culture where innovation is rewarded, excellence is celebrated and performance is recognised.

As NASENI continues to push the boundaries of home-grown science, engineering and technology, the culture of excellence celebrated that evening may well prove to be one of its most valuable innovations.

The cost of a healthy diet in Kenya up 76pc in eight years

The cost of a healthy plate of food in Kenya has risen by 75.79 percent over the past eight years, new data from a group of United Nations agencies shows, pushing nutritious meals further out of reach for over 43 million Kenyans even as the country’s food insecurity crisis persists.

The data shows that the cost of a healthy diet in Kenya climbed from $2.56 (about Sh114.68 at current purchasing power parity rates) per person per day in 2017 to $4.50 (about Sh201.6) in 2025. The IMF has set Kenya’s current purchasing power parity (PPP)-the rate primarily used to compare living standards and economic productivity across nations-at 44.8 against the international dollar.

The data is from a survey conducted by UN agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization.

According to the FAO, a healthy diet is adequate, diverse, balanced, and moderate, ensuring that people receive the necessary nutrients while avoiding harmful excesses.

The cost estimates are based on what the FAO calls a ‘healthy diet basket’, which is a combination of the cheapest locally available foods across six food groups: starchy staples, animal-source foods, legumes, nuts and seeds, oils and fats, fruits, and vegetables, standardised to provide 2,330 kilocalories per day. It is designed as a cost floor, not a record of what people actually eat, and does not capture the cost of preparing food or how it is shared within a household.

In 2017, a healthy diet in Kenya was cheaper than the Eastern African sub-regional average ($2.56 versus $2.84). By 2025, the two had nearly closed the gap, with Kenya at $ 4.50 and Eastern Africa as a whole at $4.34. Kenya’s 2025 cost also sits close to the average for lower-middle-income countries globally, $4.36, the income group that Kenya belongs to.

Rising diet costs across Africa are attributed to climate shocks affecting harvests, elevated fuel and transport costs, reliance on food imports, post-harvest losses, and volatility in global markets-particularly for nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and lean proteins, which make up the most expensive part of a healthy diet. In the region, animal-source foods, fruits and vegetables together account for close to 70 per cent of the total cost of a healthy diet, despite contributing less than half of its calories.

‘Inflation continued to raise food prices in 2025…The percentage of people who cannot afford a healthy diet (PUA) remains highest in Africa, where it is estimated to have reached 66.6 percent in 2025, more than double the levels currently estimated for Asia (28.9 percent) and Latin America and the Caribbean (25.7 percent),’ reads the report.

That 75.8 percent increase outpaced the global average, which rose from $2.94 to $4.28 over the same period, and pushed Kenya’s diet cost above the world average for the first time in the series, even though the country remains a lower-middle-income economy with far lower average incomes than many high-income countries with cheaper healthy diets.

Meanwhile, 76.3 percent of Kenyans, or about 43.9 million people, could not afford a healthy diet in 2025, up from 69.8 percent (34.3 million people) in 2017. The situation worsened in 2021, when 78.0 percent of the population was priced out of a healthy diet, at the height of pandemic-era disruption and the food and fuel price shocks that followed.

That means Kenya added roughly 9.6 million people to the ranks of those unable to afford proper nutrition in eight years.

‘When healthy food becomes unaffordable, households typically shift toward cheaper, calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foods, a pattern linked to childhood stunting and a rising burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension,’ said the report.

Kenya’s food unaffordability rate is now higher than both the Sub-Saharan Africa average (73.5 percent) and the Africa-wide average (66.6 percent), and more than double the global average of 32.7 percent. It is also marginally higher than the Eastern Africa subregional average of 76.5 percent, a group that includes Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Somalia, among others.

Cyprus Department of Meteorology – Forecast for the Sea Area of Cyprus (B)

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (B)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 21/07/2026 UNTIL 1200 22/07/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1007hPa (hectopascal)

Seasonal low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine with increased low cloud coverage overnight and during the morning, with risk of local mist and/or fog patches mainly over the southern and the eastern coasts.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in mist and very poor in fog

Sea surface temperature: 28°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Afternoon West to Northwest 3 to 4, later locally 4 to 5 Smooth to Slight, later locally Slight

Night Northwest to North 3, gradually near the coast North to Northeast Smooth to Slight

Morning Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, locally Variable 3 Smooth to Slight

South Coast

Afternoon Southwest to West 4, gradually locally 4 to 5 Smooth to Slight, gradually locally Slight

Night Southwest to Northwest 3, later locally Variable Smooth to Slight

Morning Variable 3, gradually Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

East Coast

Afternoon South to Southwest 3 to 4, gradually 4 Smooth to Slight

Night Southwest to Northwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4, at times Variable 3 Smooth to Slight

North Coast

Afternoon Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 Smooth to Slight, locally Slight

Night South to Southwest 3, soon near the coast Southeast to Southwest Smooth to Slight

Morning Southeast to Southwest 3, gradually West to Northwest 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

Head of House Foreign Affairs Committee meets France, Kazakhstan ambassadors, Swedish Mission’s Deputy Head

The Cyprus issue and the deepening of bilateral cooperation were discussed on Tuesday by the Chair of the House Committee on Foreign and European Affairs during separate meetings with the Ambassadors of France and Kazakhstan to Cyprus, as well as with the Deputy Head of the Swedish Diplomatic Mission to Cyprus, according to statements issued by the House of Representatives.

The ‘excellent’ level of relations and cooperation between France and Cyprus was highlighted during a meeting between the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign and European Affairs, George Karoullas, and the Ambassador of France to Cyprus, Clélia Chevrier-Kolacko.

Karoullas expressed his gratitude for France’s consistent principled stance, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and as a European partner, regarding the Cyprus issue and efforts to resolve it in accordance with international law and the relevant UN resolutions, the announcement said. He also expressed hope that the forthcoming visit of the UN Secretary-General to Cyprus would provide further momentum towards the resumption of meaningful negotiations, despite the Turkish side’s demand for a two-state solution and Turkey’s continued provocations against the Republic of Cyprus, it adds.

He also expressed satisfaction with the prospects for expanding and deepening bilateral cooperation under the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed by the two countries. He placed particular emphasis on strengthening interparliamentary relations through increased exchanges at various levels, with the aim of promoting cooperation in areas of mutual interest and identifying the most effective ways in which parliamentary diplomacy can contribute to achieving shared objectives, it said.

The French Ambassador reaffirmed France’s commitment to continuously upgrading and expanding cooperation between France and Cyprus, both at government level and through enhanced parliamentary relations.

During his meeting with the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Cyprus, Nikolay Zhumakanov, Karoullas referred to the significant momentum the Cyprus-Kazakhstan relations have gained in recent years and reaffirmed the House of Representatives’ strong commitment to strengthening interparliamentary exchanges and cooperation with Kazakhstan, another statement says.

Karoullas also reiterated Cyprus’ support for further strengthening dialogue and cooperation between the European Union and Kazakhstan, while expressing his sincere appreciation for Kazakhstan’s principled position on the Cyprus issue. ‘He noted that respect for international law constitutes a solid foundation for building strong and long-term relations between the two countries’, it said.

For his part, Ambassador Zhumakanov stressed that relations between Cyprus and Kazakhstan are currently at an excellent level and have gained considerable momentum following the official visit of the President of the Republic of Cyprus to Kazakhstan, reciprocal visits by the two countries’ Foreign Ministers, the establishment of embassies in both countries, and the launch of direct flights between Cyprus and Kazakhstan.

Zhumakanov also underlined the importance of cooperation between the Parliaments of Kazakhstan and Cyprus, both bilaterally and within the framework of the international parliamentary organisations in which they participate.

The Ambassador further emphasised Kazakhstan’s firm commitment to the principles of international law regarding the Cyprus issue and expressed hope that positive progress would be achieved in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, for the benefit of both communities, it said.

The Committee Chair also met with the Deputy Head of the Swedish Diplomatic Mission to Cyprus, Souad Abid.

During the meeting, both sides noted the long-standing ties between Cyprus and Sweden and expressed their mutual commitment to continuing the close cooperation between the House of Representatives and the Embassy of Sweden in Cyprus, with a view to further strengthening exchanges and cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries, it said.

Karoullas expressed his sincere appreciation for Sweden’s consistent principled stance on the Cyprus issue and its efforts to support a settlement, as well as for Sweden’s long-standing contribution to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). He also extended his warm thanks for the constructive role played by the Swedish Embassy in Cyprus in promoting interfaith dialogue, reconciliation, and confidence-building measures between the two communities, it adds.

For her part, Abid reaffirmed Sweden’s principled position on the Cyprus issue and her country’s support for efforts for its resolution within the agreed United Nations framework. She also expressed hope for the reunification of Cyprus and the peaceful coexistence of the island’s two communities, highlighting the active contribution of the Swedish Embassy towards achieving this goal, according to the announcement.

In this context, the two officials exchanged views on the prospects for resolving the Cyprus issue and on the need to intensify efforts to build trust between the two communities, the statement concluded.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

After informal meetings in 2025, followed by a hiatus of several months, deliberations are underway for a new meeting in broader format to be held, as the term of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nears its end. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties.