Category: Business Daily

Advancements in technology such as low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites and advanced wireless links are powering Kenya’s internet growth as networks race to get more people connected.

Latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) shows fixed internet subscriptions grew 32.4 percent between June 2025 and June 2026.

Fibre optic is the largest fixed internet technology, with subscriptions rising to 1.57 million in June, 29.7 percent higher than the 1.21 million recorded in June last year.

But newer technologies are allowing operators to expand connectivity without relying entirely on traditional infrastructure.

Radio technology recorded a 471.1 percent year-on-year growth to 8,606 subscriptions from 1,507 last June.

“Radio technology grew particularly high by 471.1 percent, mainly attributed to the roll-out of radio technology by Airtel, Jamii Telecommunication and Fiberlink Ltd,” the CA said.

Radio frequency internet uses wireless radio signals instead of physical copper or fiber optic cables to deliver high-speed internet to homes and businesses.

Similarly, satellite technology subscriptions increased 54.4 percent year-on-year to 27,695 in June from 17,939, driven by the entry and expansion of LEO satellite services such as Starlink.

These new technologies offer a way of reaching locations where laying fibre or building conventional cellular infrastructure can be difficult or expensive.

CA said satellite bandwidth capacity declined 19.1 percent year-on-year to 0.360 gigabits per second (Gbps) in June from 0.445 Gbps in June 2025, mainly because of the migration from traditional very small aperture terminal (VSAT) technology to LEO technology.

Unlike traditional satellite systems, LEO constellations operate much closer to Earth, allowing them to provide lower-latency connections and higher speeds.

Airtel Africa last year partnered with SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink, to introduce direct-to-cell (D2C) technology across its 14 African markets beginning this year.

D2C is designed to address so-called dead zones – areas without reliable internet connectivity because of geographical barriers, infrastructure gaps or the difficulty of deploying conventional networks.

Instead of requiring a satellite dish or other specialised equipment, the technology allows compatible mobile phones to communicate directly with LEO satellites, extending basic connectivity to areas where mobile towers have not reached, including remote locations.

Safaricom’s South African parent company, Vodacom, also signed an Africa-wide deal with SpaceX last November that will see the Kenyan telco integrate Starlink satellite technology for data relay into its mobile network.

In this case, traditional cell towers are equipped with a satellite terminal that transmits data directly to the LEO constellation, which then routes it to the core network.

Mobile data continues to dominate Kenya’s internet market, with subscriptions reaching 64.3 million at the end of June, up 9.7 percent from 58.6 million a year earlier.

The latest CA data shows mobile broadband accounted for 85.5 percent of total subscriptions, with 4G remaining the most adopted broadband technology at 48.3 million users.

The expansion of 4G and 5G networks is also accelerating smartphone adoption as consumers move away from basic handsets and use their phones for increasingly data-heavy activities.

The total number of mobile devices connected to networks stood at 79.7 million by the end of June, equivalent to a penetration rate of 149.4 percent.

Safaricom previously said it has 33.16 million smartphones on its network.

Kenya’s largest telco has invested more than Sh500 billion in capital expenditure over the past decade, including Sh55.8 billion last year.

Of this, Sh38.6 billion went into network infrastructure, alongside investments in new data centres, distribution infrastructure and software applications.

Airtel Africa invested $884 million (Sh114.3 billion) in capital expenditure during the year ended March 2026, mainly on network expansion, while adding more than 3,250 infrastructure sites across its 14 African markets.

The company says its 4G network now reaches 75.6 percent of the population across its markets, while 96.7 percent of data traffic comes from customers using 4G and 5G smartphones.

Smartphone penetration on Airtel’s network stood at 49.5 percent as of March.

These investments are driven by Kenya’s rising demand for speed. CA data shows that the fixed internet market is expanding as more customers take mid-tier broadband connections and ultra-fast services.

Connections in the 256 kilobits per second (Kbps) to below two megabits per second (Mbps) category rose to 113,438 in June from 49,790 a year earlier.

At the other end, connections offering at least 1 Gbps more than doubled to 1,853 from 701 over the same period.

The increase reflects the growing use of video streaming, online education, remote work, e-commerce, cloud computing and other digital services that require faster and more stable connections.

‘Fixed internet services in the country are experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by intense competition, a shifting digital economy, and aggressive infrastructure roll-outs,’ the regulator said.

This has created a market for technologies capable of delivering high speeds without the limitations of older infrastructure.

During the recent AmCham Business Summit in Nairobi, one message came through clearly: Kenya is standing at an extraordinary moment.

Critical minerals define international economic policy. Governments want secure supply chains, manufacturers need materials, and technologies are driving demand for minerals used in everything from smartphones to energy infrastructure and advanced defence systems.

Kenya has much of what it needs to seize this opportunity. Its mineral potential is real, and it pairs that with a sophisticated financial sector, a verified warehouse system, and growing technical expertise.

Add access to the Port of Mombasa and its position as East Africa’s commercial hub, and Kenya is already emerging as a leader among African countries seeking to turn natural resources into industrial development.

But mineral potential is not enough. As United States Ambassador to mineral-rich Guinea, I saw natural resources attract enormous investment without producing broad-based prosperity. Geology opens the door; policy, technology, and political will determine what comes through it.

Mining has historically been a conservative industry; capital-intensive, technically difficult, and rightly cautious about risk. But caution can hold back progress. When the industry says something cannot be done, it often means it has not been done before or would disrupt an established business model. Kenya should not accept that answer.

The Kenyan government has laid down a challenge: minerals should not be extracted and shipped overseas for higher-value work elsewhere. Processing, beneficiation, and more surrounding activity should take place in Kenya.

The technology, expertise, and capital exist. What is required is clear government direction and companies prepared to innovate.

Kenya should insist on tomorrow’s technology today: extraction and processing techniques that reduce energy and water consumption, improve recovery rates, and manage environmental risks. Projects should be designed around Kenyan processing capacity, supported by infrastructure that lets mines strengthen the wider economy.

The tender for the niobium and rare-earth prospect at Mrima Hill is an immediate opportunity to apply these principles. The minerals identified there are used in electronics, high-strength alloys and permanent magnets. Yet further exploration and economic analysis are needed. The task is not to rush into extraction, but to select a partner capable of establishing what is technically, economically, environmentally, and socially feasible.

The right partner will bring financing and modern technology, build Kenyan expertise, and recognise that a prospecting licence does not replace environmental, land-use, or other statutory approvals. It will engage communities early enough for their knowledge and concerns to shape the project.

Africa also needs greater ownership over how its minerals are traded and priced. Today, the benchmarks that matter globally are still set through institutions far removed from the countries producing the resources. The London Metal Exchange, for example, is based in Britain and owned by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing.

Africa should not remain only a source of material while pricing, financing, and market power sit elsewhere.

The continent should develop a minerals marketplace offering transparent price discovery, certified inventories, traceable transactions, and access to finance. Nairobi’s financial sector, technology and regional connectivity make it a natural home. Existing initiatives provide a foundation, but the ambition should be a credible African minerals and metals platform serving producers continent-wide.

The United States should support that ambition. American companies can bring capital, expertise, advanced environmental practices, and global customers. The US government can support participation through commercial diplomacy, development finance, and technical partnerships. Kenya brings resources, talent, clean-energy potential, and a fast-growing regional market.

This is not aid, nor should it be framed as a geopolitical contest in which Kenya must choose sides. It is a partnership between equals, based on mutual commercial interest.

Mining, processing, and building markets are difficult. But difficult does not mean impossible. Kenya’s government says a different model can be built. The private sector should take up that challenge and African governments must stop taking no for an answer.

Rapper and songwriter Nyamari Ongegu (Nyashinski) has suffered another setback in a copyright infringement case filed against him by a Nigerian music producer.

The celebrated rapper will now be compelled to produce contract documents on a multi-million-shilling brand ambassador deal he signed with Tecno Kenya in May 2023, potentially revealing how much he was paid under the agreement.

This follows the High Court’s dismissal of an appeal in which Nyashinski had sought to prevent disclosure of the contract and its financial details.

Sources familiar with the deal told Business Daily that the deal that made Nyashinski the face of Tecno’s Camon 20 smartphone was worth about Sh12million.

Nyashinski’s legal troubles in the matter date back to 2023, when Nigerian music producer Sam Are Eliapenda filed a case at a Magistrate’s Court accusing the rapper of infringing his copyright when he entered into the endorsement deal with the Chinese smartphone manufacturer without his consent.

Eliapenda produced the beats for Nyashinski’s hit song Wach Wach, which was prominently featured in Tecno’s Camon 20 marketing campaigns following the endorsement deal.

The producer argued that, as the creator of the music used by Tecno in commercials featuring Nyashinski, he was entitled to a share of the earnings from the contract. Eliapenda told the court that he had unsuccessfully tried to reach an agreement with Nyashinski before turning to the courts.

In his plea, the producer asked the Magistrate’s Court to compel Nyashinski to produce the endorsement contract and related financial records so that the amount he received from the deal could be established.

On August 9, 2024, the court ordered Nyashinski to produce details of the contract, including bank transaction records and royalty reports on the disputed song, to help settle the matter.

The Magistrate’s Court said that the sought contract documents were necessary and relevant for a fair determination of the suit.

Nyashinski, however, moved swiftly to the High Court, filing an appeal on August 21, 2024 against the magistrate’s decision.

He faulted the magistrate’s ruling, arguing that it failed to provide directions, safeguards and/or mechanisms to ensure that his personal data, financials, legal obligations and personal brand are protected from blackmail, extortion, exploitation, fraud and abuse.

The rapper insisted that releasing the documents would expose his trade secrets, putting him at a commercial disadvantage and exposing him to potential losses.

He also faulted the magistrate for incorrectly extending the scope of privity of contract by allowing the music producer to seek the documents he has no contractual rights to access, insisting that the contract document does not bear a material connection to the core issue of the case.

Further, the rapper argued that disclosing the contract and the amount he was paid would breach a non-disclosure clause between him and Tecno. He further insisted that the producer had not given the court a meaningful reason for demanding the contract because he was not a party to the agreement between Nyashinski and Tecno.

But the producer argued back, stating that availing the contract is crucial in determining the losses he has suffered as far as his 50 percent publishing rights of the song Wach Wach, which was heavily used in the promotion of the Tecno Camon 20, is concerned. Eliapenda also accused Nyashinski of contradiction, having initially told the Magistrate Court that there existed no such contract as he was paid in cash.

The High Court initially gave Nyashinski reprieve on the appeal, suspending the execution of the magistrate’s ruling pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.

‘On careful consideration of the application, there is no doubt that the applicant (Nyashinski) stands to suffer loss if no orders are granted in the event the appeal succeeds. That is so because the fear the applicant has will be long realised with no possibility of reversal. Once the documents are released on discovery, then the process intimated to by the applicant will automatically set in motion. The application therefore is merited. There be a stay of execution of the ruling delivered by Hon Selina Muchungi pending determination of the appeal,’ the High Court ruled in 2025.

That reprieve has now been lifted.

Last Friday, the High Court dismissed Nyashinski’s appeal, effectively clearing the way for the disclosure of the documents and ending the temporary stay that had shielded the contract from disclosure.

‘The magistrate exercised proper discretion in finding that the 1st applicant (Nyashinski) and Tecno Mobile should produce the documents requested by the 1st respondent (Sam Are Eliapenda Jedidiah). The Magistrate’s finding was sound in law. Appeal dismissed with costs to the 1st respondent,’ the court ordered.

With the appeal dismissed, the matter now returns to the Magistrate’s Court, where Nyashinski will be required to produce the contract and related financial records.

The documents could reveal the finer details of the Tecno deal, including the financial value attached to the endorsement, before the copyright case proceeds to its substantive hearing and trial.

The bone of contention on the matter is largely pegged on the ownership rights of the song Wach Wach, which was used in a commercial advertisement.

According to the split sheet contract terms – which is a written agreement outlining how ownership and royalties are divided among collaborators on a song – Nyashinski owns 100 percent of the master rights to the song. However, the rapper and the producer split the publishing rights to the song, with each owning 50 percent.

Eliapenda argues that he is entitled to a percentage of the millions Nyashinski made from the endorsement deal, based on his publishing rights ownership of the song.

The producer maintains that Nyashinski cannot claim his rights are superior to his.

‘The rights of the appellant are not superior to the rights of any other persons; thus, the appellant cannot claim privacy after publicly disenfranchising me of millions of shillings through the copyright-infringing advertisement made together with him and the 2nd respondent and now claim privacy,’ he states in his court pleadings.

However, in his defence, Nyashinski maintains his deal with Tecno wasn’t a publishing deal as Eliapenda claims but rather one which included image rights, appearance, video/photo shoots, and social media association.

Nyashinski further argues that, through his company, GETA International, he signed a fair use agreement with Tecno for the use of the song Wach Wach, which he had every right to, as he owns 100 percent Master Rights and didn’t need any consent from the producer.

Bank of Baroda (Kenya) Limited faces attachment of its movable assets after the High Court ordered it to pay Infinity Industrial Park Limited Sh2.99 billion in special damages, escalating a dispute over financing for a planned 200-acre industrial park in Nairobi.

A warrant issued by Milimani High Court Deputy Registrar Stellah Sagwe on September 15 directs Moran Auctioneers to attach the bank’s movable and attachable property unless the amount is paid.

The warrant records the amount currently due as Sh2.99 billion, comprising the damages award, Sh1,500 in further costs and Sh1,500 in collection fees. Attached property may be sold by public auction after the required 15-day notice and proclamation process.

The auctioneer is expected to return the warrant to court by October 15, explaining how it was executed or why it was not. No seizure or sale of bank assets is established by the documents.

The warrant follows a decree in a 2024 commercial dispute pitting Infinity Industrial Park Limited against the bank, in which the court entered judgment for the amount, after Infinity withdrew most of its original prayers.

The legal dispute originates from a Sh1.97 billion bank loan facility advanced in 2019 to finance Infinity’s industrial park development.

The company alleged that delays in releasing charged land and related financing constraints disrupted the project, while the bank maintained that the borrower had fallen into arrears and that it was entitled to retain its security.

Infinity had initially sought orders stopping the bank from selling or interfering with its approximately 200-acre project land in Njiru, along Nairobi’s Eastern Bypass. It sought a Sh650 million facility for a second warehouse cluster or release of 15 acres to obtain financing elsewhere.

It also alleged delays in releasing title documents and land, and sought a payment moratorium, withdrawal of adverse credit-reference listings and damages.

Those prayers were withdrawn through a notice dated August 6, 2026, which the court allowed and adopted. The remaining claim produced the Sh2.99 billion judgment.

The dispute began with the Sh1.97 billion loan facility advanced by Bank of Baroda in 2019. The financing comprised a takeover loan from Equity Bank, a fresh overdraft and a new term loan, secured against several properties.

Infinity told the court that it was developing an industrial park and logistics project for small and medium-sized businesses on land with a projected 15-year development period and capacity for up to 1,000 enterprises. It was designed to provide industrial plots, warehouses and supporting infrastructure for SMEs.

Infinity says it made substantial repayments, including Sh500 million in principal and Sh800 million in interest by December 2023. It says it repeatedly sought restructuring and partial release of charged land to raise funds.

The company says it offered Sh250 million in December 2025 for release of 10 acres, but the proposal was rejected.

The case took a turn after the bank failed to file its defence within the prescribed period, leading to a default judgment in September 2025.

The court also dismissed the bank’s July 2026 attempt to set aside that judgment. The court found the bank had participated in proceedings but failed to comply with court directions.

“The failure to comply with the court’s timeline is not attributable to the absence of formal summons; it is simply a case of non-compliance with a court order,’ the court ruled.

The bank blamed its former lawyers for failing to communicate directions concerning its defence, while maintaining that its intended defence raised issues about the security, amount claimed and loan dispute.

The bank’s position in the wider dispute has been that Infinity defaulted and that it was entitled to exercise its rights as a secured lender.

The dispute has also expanded into a separate fight over the bank’s attempted appointment of joint administrators to Infinity in August, with the company challenging the move in court.

Bank of Baroda (Kenya) Limited faces attachment of its movable assets after the High Court ordered it to pay Infinity Industrial Park Limited Sh2.99 billion in special damages, escalating a dispute over financing for a planned 200-acre industrial park in Nairobi.

A warrant issued by Milimani High Court Deputy Registrar Stellah Sagwe on September 15 directs Moran Auctioneers to attach the bank’s movable and attachable property unless the amount is paid.

The warrant records the amount currently due as Sh2.99 billion, comprising the damages award, Sh1,500 in further costs and Sh1,500 in collection fees. Attached property may be sold by public auction after the required 15-day notice and proclamation process.

The auctioneer is expected to return the warrant to court by October 15, explaining how it was executed or why it was not. No seizure or sale of bank assets is established by the documents.

The warrant follows a decree in a 2024 commercial dispute pitting Infinity Industrial Park Limited against the bank, in which the court entered judgment for the amount, after Infinity withdrew most of its original prayers.

The legal dispute originates from a Sh1.97 billion bank loan facility advanced in 2019 to finance Infinity’s industrial park development.

The company alleged that delays in releasing charged land and related financing constraints disrupted the project, while the bank maintained that the borrower had fallen into arrears and that it was entitled to retain its security.

Infinity had initially sought orders stopping the bank from selling or interfering with its approximately 200-acre project land in Njiru, along Nairobi’s Eastern Bypass. It sought a Sh650 million facility for a second warehouse cluster or release of 15 acres to obtain financing elsewhere.

It also alleged delays in releasing title documents and land, and sought a payment moratorium, withdrawal of adverse credit-reference listings and damages.

Those prayers were withdrawn through a notice dated August 6, 2026, which the court allowed and adopted. The remaining claim produced the Sh2.99 billion judgment.

The dispute began with the Sh1.97 billion loan facility advanced by Bank of Baroda in 2019. The financing comprised a takeover loan from Equity Bank, a fresh overdraft and a new term loan, secured against several properties.

Infinity told the court that it was developing an industrial park and logistics project for small and medium-sized businesses on land with a projected 15-year development period and capacity for up to 1,000 enterprises. It was designed to provide industrial plots, warehouses and supporting infrastructure for SMEs.

Infinity says it made substantial repayments, including Sh500 million in principal and Sh800 million in interest by December 2023. It says it repeatedly sought restructuring and partial release of charged land to raise funds.

The company says it offered Sh250 million in December 2025 for release of 10 acres, but the proposal was rejected.

The case took a turn after the bank failed to file its defence within the prescribed period, leading to a default judgment in September 2025.

The court also dismissed the bank’s July 2026 attempt to set aside that judgment. The court found the bank had participated in proceedings but failed to comply with court directions.

“The failure to comply with the court’s timeline is not attributable to the absence of formal summons; it is simply a case of non-compliance with a court order,’ the court ruled.

The bank blamed its former lawyers for failing to communicate directions concerning its defence, while maintaining that its intended defence raised issues about the security, amount claimed and loan dispute.

The bank’s position in the wider dispute has been that Infinity defaulted and that it was entitled to exercise its rights as a secured lender.

The dispute has also expanded into a separate fight over the bank’s attempted appointment of joint administrators to Infinity in August, with the company challenging the move in court.

Rapper and songwriter Nyamari Ongegu (Nyashinski) has suffered another setback in a copyright infringement case filed against him by a Nigerian music producer.

The celebrated rapper will now be compelled to produce contract documents on a multi-million-shilling brand ambassador deal he signed with Tecno Kenya in May 2023, potentially revealing how much he was paid under the agreement.

This follows the High Court’s dismissal of an appeal in which Nyashinski had sought to prevent disclosure of the contract and its financial details.

Sources familiar with the deal told Business Daily that the deal that made Nyashinski the face of Tecno’s Camon 20 smartphone was worth about Sh12million.

Nyashinski’s legal troubles in the matter date back to 2023, when Nigerian music producer Sam Are Eliapenda filed a case at a Magistrate’s Court accusing the rapper of infringing his copyright when he entered into the endorsement deal with the Chinese smartphone manufacturer without his consent.

Eliapenda produced the beats for Nyashinski’s hit song Wach Wach, which was prominently featured in Tecno’s Camon 20 marketing campaigns following the endorsement deal.

The producer argued that, as the creator of the music used by Tecno in commercials featuring Nyashinski, he was entitled to a share of the earnings from the contract. Eliapenda told the court that he had unsuccessfully tried to reach an agreement with Nyashinski before turning to the courts.

In his plea, the producer asked the Magistrate’s Court to compel Nyashinski to produce the endorsement contract and related financial records so that the amount he received from the deal could be established.

On August 9, 2024, the court ordered Nyashinski to produce details of the contract, including bank transaction records and royalty reports on the disputed song, to help settle the matter.

The Magistrate’s Court said that the sought contract documents were necessary and relevant for a fair determination of the suit.

Nyashinski, however, moved swiftly to the High Court, filing an appeal on August 21, 2024 against the magistrate’s decision.

He faulted the magistrate’s ruling, arguing that it failed to provide directions, safeguards and/or mechanisms to ensure that his personal data, financials, legal obligations and personal brand are protected from blackmail, extortion, exploitation, fraud and abuse.

The rapper insisted that releasing the documents would expose his trade secrets, putting him at a commercial disadvantage and exposing him to potential losses.

He also faulted the magistrate for incorrectly extending the scope of privity of contract by allowing the music producer to seek the documents he has no contractual rights to access, insisting that the contract document does not bear a material connection to the core issue of the case.

Further, the rapper argued that disclosing the contract and the amount he was paid would breach a non-disclosure clause between him and Tecno. He further insisted that the producer had not given the court a meaningful reason for demanding the contract because he was not a party to the agreement between Nyashinski and Tecno.

But the producer argued back, stating that availing the contract is crucial in determining the losses he has suffered as far as his 50 percent publishing rights of the song Wach Wach, which was heavily used in the promotion of the Tecno Camon 20, is concerned. Eliapenda also accused Nyashinski of contradiction, having initially told the Magistrate Court that there existed no such contract as he was paid in cash.

The High Court initially gave Nyashinski reprieve on the appeal, suspending the execution of the magistrate’s ruling pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.

‘On careful consideration of the application, there is no doubt that the applicant (Nyashinski) stands to suffer loss if no orders are granted in the event the appeal succeeds. That is so because the fear the applicant has will be long realised with no possibility of reversal. Once the documents are released on discovery, then the process intimated to by the applicant will automatically set in motion. The application therefore is merited. There be a stay of execution of the ruling delivered by Hon Selina Muchungi pending determination of the appeal,’ the High Court ruled in 2025.

That reprieve has now been lifted.

Last Friday, the High Court dismissed Nyashinski’s appeal, effectively clearing the way for the disclosure of the documents and ending the temporary stay that had shielded the contract from disclosure.

‘The magistrate exercised proper discretion in finding that the 1st applicant (Nyashinski) and Tecno Mobile should produce the documents requested by the 1st respondent (Sam Are Eliapenda Jedidiah). The Magistrate’s finding was sound in law. Appeal dismissed with costs to the 1st respondent,’ the court ordered.

With the appeal dismissed, the matter now returns to the Magistrate’s Court, where Nyashinski will be required to produce the contract and related financial records.

The documents could reveal the finer details of the Tecno deal, including the financial value attached to the endorsement, before the copyright case proceeds to its substantive hearing and trial.

The bone of contention on the matter is largely pegged on the ownership rights of the song Wach Wach, which was used in a commercial advertisement.

According to the split sheet contract terms – which is a written agreement outlining how ownership and royalties are divided among collaborators on a song – Nyashinski owns 100 percent of the master rights to the song. However, the rapper and the producer split the publishing rights to the song, with each owning 50 percent.

Eliapenda argues that he is entitled to a percentage of the millions Nyashinski made from the endorsement deal, based on his publishing rights ownership of the song.

The producer maintains that Nyashinski cannot claim his rights are superior to his.

‘The rights of the appellant are not superior to the rights of any other persons; thus, the appellant cannot claim privacy after publicly disenfranchising me of millions of shillings through the copyright-infringing advertisement made together with him and the 2nd respondent and now claim privacy,’ he states in his court pleadings.

However, in his defence, Nyashinski maintains his deal with Tecno wasn’t a publishing deal as Eliapenda claims but rather one which included image rights, appearance, video/photo shoots, and social media association.

Nyashinski further argues that, through his company, GETA International, he signed a fair use agreement with Tecno for the use of the song Wach Wach, which he had every right to, as he owns 100 percent Master Rights and didn’t need any consent from the producer.

Nairobi is set for a 10,000-seater indoor sports and entertainment arena as part of a $294.49 million (Sh38.14 billion) Railway City development that will mirror Rwanda’s model of using a multipurpose venue to attract major sporting, business and entertainment events.

The planned arena will form the centrepiece of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Core Centre being developed at the Nairobi Railway Station area, with a hotel, serviced apartments, retail outlets and other entertainment facilities planned around it.

The development is being undertaken by Guernsey-headquartered Zaria Group through its local subsidiary, Metroarena Development Company.

The project forms part of the wider 172-hectare Railway City redevelopment initiative that seeks to expand the capital’s capacity to host major sporting, business and entertainment events, disclosures on the project showed.

‘By stimulating commercial activity and attracting local and international events, the MICE-Core Arena is expected to catalyse growth in the tourism and MICE economy and investment in the surrounding precincts,’ the disclosure said.

The project will partly draw from Rwanda’s experience. After construction, the Kenyan arena will be operated by QA Venue Solutions, a Zaria Group management affiliate that already manages the 10,000-seat BK Arena and Amahoro Stadium in Kigali.

Management contracts for the Nairobi facility are set on renewable 15-year terms, with the intention that QA Venue Solutions will continue managing the arena indefinitely.

The Nairobi project comes as African cities compete for international sporting tournaments, concerts, conferences and exhibitions, with modern venues increasingly being developed as commercial and tourism assets.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is, for instance, developing a 20,000-seat Kinshasa Arena, which is being positioned as one of Africa’s largest indoor venues. The project, estimated at $105 million (Sh13.6 billion), is designed to host basketball, concerts, exhibitions, and other major events.

The DRC arena will exceed the scale of BK Arena and the Dakar Arena in Senegal (15,000 capacity), both of which have become key assets in attracting international competitions and entertainment programming such as the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

Kenya hopes to benefit from such events. Rwanda’s BK Arena, which cost about $104 million (Sh13.5 billion) and was opened in August 2019, describes itself as the largest fully covered arena in East Africa.

The BK Arena hosted the inaugural BAL season in 2021 and the league’s playoffs and finals in subsequent years. It has also hosted other major entertainment events, including American R and B singer Ne-Yo, who performed at the venue in 2019.

Kenya hopes to replicate similar success by using its arena to benefit from the growing sports, entertainment and events economy that also grows tourism.

Kenya Railways

Kenya Railways’ Nairobi Central Station.

File | Nation Media Group

Details of the planned project in Nairobi show the centrepiece will be a five-storey, multi-purpose indoor arena with a seating capacity of up to 10,000 people, depending on the event configuration.

The sports arena is designed to accommodate sporting activities such as basketball. However, the document shows the facility is also planned for conferences, banquets and other events, giving it a wider commercial use beyond sports.

The arena will have an estimated built-up area of 11,680 square metres, comprising 5,575 square metres for seating and arena functions and another 4,045 square metres for back-of-house facilities.

The development will be supported by a three-level public podium, with the ground and first floors dedicated to parking. The second floor will provide the main public realm, including a central pedestrian boulevard connecting different parts of the development.

The plans also provide for retail outlets, restaurants, food and beverage facilities, leisure uses, sports-related public activation zones and a public plaza for spectators and visitors.

An amphitheater and public performance space are also planned alongside parking structures, servicing facilities, landscaping, lighting, wayfinding and smart infrastructure.

The hotel component will comprise a 140-key branded facility, while the serviced apartment tower will provide 70 units. The combination of the sports arena with the hotel, apartment, and parking lot makes the development a mixed-use destination.

The location is intended to give the project access to Nairobi’s main transport corridors while placing it immediately south of the central business district. The site can be accessed through Haile Selassie Avenue, Workshop Road via Bunyala Road and Uhuru Highway.

The project is part of the government’s broader plan to transform the railway station area into a multi-modal, transit-oriented urban centre incorporating commercial, residential and transport infrastructure.

‘The project will contribute to increased government revenue through various tax streams and statutory levies associated with both the construction and operational phases of the proposed development plus long-term land-lease revenue and a gross revenue share to Kenya Railways Corporation,’ the Kenya Railways Corporation disclosure said.

The Nairobi Railway City is a green city of office blocks, malls, and a light industrial hub aimed at decongesting the city’s central business district, and was initially meant to be completed by 2027.

The project will involve the installation of approximately 45kilometres(km) of new track in and around the yard of the present central railway station, including fittings and concrete sleepers.

DNCITYSKYLINE1412f

An aerial view of Nairobi City overlooking the Kenya Railways Headquarters.

Francis Nderitu | Nation

The upgrade will also entail the construction of a new station management block, a new accommodation block to the east of the station entrance, refurbishment of the existing station building, four new passenger platforms, including refurbishment and expansion of the existing platforms, food and beverage outlets, and repurposing and refurbishment of the Easy Coach House heritage building.

The project will further involve the establishment of a new freight marshalling yard at Makadara yard and the installation of approximately 11km of new track, including fittings and concrete sleepers.

Nairobi is set for a 10,000-seater indoor sports and entertainment arena as part of a $294.49 million (Sh38.14 billion) Railway City development that will mirror Rwanda’s model of using a multipurpose venue to attract major sporting, business and entertainment events.

The planned arena will form the centrepiece of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Core Centre being developed at the Nairobi Railway Station area, with a hotel, serviced apartments, retail outlets and other entertainment facilities planned around it.

The development is being undertaken by Guernsey-headquartered Zaria Group through its local subsidiary, Metroarena Development Company.

The project forms part of the wider 172-hectare Railway City redevelopment initiative that seeks to expand the capital’s capacity to host major sporting, business and entertainment events, disclosures on the project showed.

‘By stimulating commercial activity and attracting local and international events, the MICE-Core Arena is expected to catalyse growth in the tourism and MICE economy and investment in the surrounding precincts,’ the disclosure said.

The project will partly draw from Rwanda’s experience. After construction, the Kenyan arena will be operated by QA Venue Solutions, a Zaria Group management affiliate that already manages the 10,000-seat BK Arena and Amahoro Stadium in Kigali.

Management contracts for the Nairobi facility are set on renewable 15-year terms, with the intention that QA Venue Solutions will continue managing the arena indefinitely.

The Nairobi project comes as African cities compete for international sporting tournaments, concerts, conferences and exhibitions, with modern venues increasingly being developed as commercial and tourism assets.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is, for instance, developing a 20,000-seat Kinshasa Arena, which is being positioned as one of Africa’s largest indoor venues. The project, estimated at $105 million (Sh13.6 billion), is designed to host basketball, concerts, exhibitions, and other major events.

The DRC arena will exceed the scale of BK Arena and the Dakar Arena in Senegal (15,000 capacity), both of which have become key assets in attracting international competitions and entertainment programming such as the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

Kenya hopes to benefit from such events. Rwanda’s BK Arena, which cost about $104 million (Sh13.5 billion) and was opened in August 2019, describes itself as the largest fully covered arena in East Africa.

The BK Arena hosted the inaugural BAL season in 2021 and the league’s playoffs and finals in subsequent years. It has also hosted other major entertainment events, including American R and B singer Ne-Yo, who performed at the venue in 2019.

Kenya hopes to replicate similar success by using its arena to benefit from the growing sports, entertainment and events economy that also grows tourism.

Kenya Railways

Kenya Railways’ Nairobi Central Station.

File | Nation Media Group

Details of the planned project in Nairobi show the centrepiece will be a five-storey, multi-purpose indoor arena with a seating capacity of up to 10,000 people, depending on the event configuration.

The sports arena is designed to accommodate sporting activities such as basketball. However, the document shows the facility is also planned for conferences, banquets and other events, giving it a wider commercial use beyond sports.

The arena will have an estimated built-up area of 11,680 square metres, comprising 5,575 square metres for seating and arena functions and another 4,045 square metres for back-of-house facilities.

The development will be supported by a three-level public podium, with the ground and first floors dedicated to parking. The second floor will provide the main public realm, including a central pedestrian boulevard connecting different parts of the development.

The plans also provide for retail outlets, restaurants, food and beverage facilities, leisure uses, sports-related public activation zones and a public plaza for spectators and visitors.

An amphitheater and public performance space are also planned alongside parking structures, servicing facilities, landscaping, lighting, wayfinding and smart infrastructure.

The hotel component will comprise a 140-key branded facility, while the serviced apartment tower will provide 70 units. The combination of the sports arena with the hotel, apartment, and parking lot makes the development a mixed-use destination.

The location is intended to give the project access to Nairobi’s main transport corridors while placing it immediately south of the central business district. The site can be accessed through Haile Selassie Avenue, Workshop Road via Bunyala Road and Uhuru Highway.

The project is part of the government’s broader plan to transform the railway station area into a multi-modal, transit-oriented urban centre incorporating commercial, residential and transport infrastructure.

‘The project will contribute to increased government revenue through various tax streams and statutory levies associated with both the construction and operational phases of the proposed development plus long-term land-lease revenue and a gross revenue share to Kenya Railways Corporation,’ the Kenya Railways Corporation disclosure said.

The Nairobi Railway City is a green city of office blocks, malls, and a light industrial hub aimed at decongesting the city’s central business district, and was initially meant to be completed by 2027.

The project will involve the installation of approximately 45kilometres(km) of new track in and around the yard of the present central railway station, including fittings and concrete sleepers.

DNCITYSKYLINE1412f

An aerial view of Nairobi City overlooking the Kenya Railways Headquarters.

Francis Nderitu | Nation

The upgrade will also entail the construction of a new station management block, a new accommodation block to the east of the station entrance, refurbishment of the existing station building, four new passenger platforms, including refurbishment and expansion of the existing platforms, food and beverage outlets, and repurposing and refurbishment of the Easy Coach House heritage building.

The project will further involve the establishment of a new freight marshalling yard at Makadara yard and the installation of approximately 11km of new track, including fittings and concrete sleepers.

Kefa Ochieng Okoth, a boxing coach, has a bold stance against conventional beginner training, especially for people looking to lose weight. Don’t jump straight into running or lifting weights, he warns.

‘Yes, lifting weights can help with weight loss, but when someone is new to exercises, there is so much to consider. When someone is very much on the heavier side [overweight or obese], it means their muscles are extremely weak, so introducing them to weights immediately does not do them any justice in fast-tracking their fitness journey or making it less uncomfortable. In fact, they could be more prone to injury,’ he says.

The same caution, he argues, applies to jogging and running.

‘When someone is on the heavier side, asking them to start their fitness journey by jogging or running is only hurting them more because their body joints are already dealing with the stress and pressure of the weight. Such high-impact activity can only worsen their joint stress and pain,’ he says.

Okoth was a professional boxer before an injury ended his career. But even with two fractured ribs, he still throws punches perfectly, thanks to gently conditioning his body. He uses the skills to teach boxing for fitness.

When we meet the 40-year-old for the interview, he throws a crisp combination. A left hook, uppercut, jab, duck, and another set of lower jabs, moving around the 60kg bag with the quick footwork of a seasoned southpaw boxer. His punches land with rhythm and precision, each movement appearing almost effortless.

But what is less apparent is the pain beneath the performance.

‘Occasionally, I engage with the bag as part of my routine, although I have been advised not to, to avoid further tearing of my ribs. They are separated and need a lot of attention. As you may know, there is no cure for fractured ribs. They are left to heal naturally, while you take medication to manage the pain,’ the soft-spoken Okoth tells BDLife.

Okoth retired from competitive boxing five years ago after doctors warned that continuing to absorb punches could worsen the damage.

‘I was told that if I wanted to live longer, I should consider hanging up my gloves because the more I take the jabs, the more the tear worsens,’ he says.

He got the injury from his trainer during a sparring session.

‘My trainer accidentally landed a heavy left lower hook on me. He fractured my ribs,’ he says.

He took time off to recover, but the injury proved difficult to overcome. As his passion for boxing grew, so did his commitment to the sport. Okoth went on to compete in the national boxing league for eight years, repeatedly stepping back into the ring despite the lingering injury.

‘Every time you are in the ring with an injury like that, and you catch a punch from the opponent, it’s like opening a fresh wound. But I persevered and competed for several years with the injury. I would nurse it and, whenever I felt better, I would be back in the ring,’ he says.

For years, recovery became part of his boxing routine. He would step away when the pain became unbearable, allow the injury to settle, then return to the ring once he felt strong enough.

It was not a sustainable cycle, but Okoth doesn’t regret one bit.

‘I love the sport. It’s the only thing I would wish to be involved with until my last day. As a matter of fact, there is nothing else I have ever done in my life beyond boxing.’

No treadmill or intense cardio

After retiring from competitive boxing, Okoth found a new role on the other side of the ropes. He now trains upcoming boxers, as well as clients looking to tone their bodies or shed excess weight.

But his approach to fitness is far from conventional. Okoth has developed a training routine based partly on techniques that have worked for him over the years and, he says, have also helped him manage the rib injury.

His methods challenge some of the more familiar approaches to weight loss, particularly the tendency to push beginners straight into intense cardio exercises.

‘When I get a client who wants to lose weight, which is the case with many people, I never put them on a treadmill or on an intense cardio plan immediately. That is something I see many fitness instructors do,’ he says.

His preferred starting point is lower-impact exercises that allow the body to gradually adjust to movement.

‘There are levels to exercising. There is a warm-up, a cool-down, and intense physical activity. For someone on the heavier side, a cool-down is the best form to use as an introduction to a fitness routine,’ Okoth says.

Gentle exercises

He believes beginning with gentler movements helps prepare the body before a client progresses to more demanding forms of exercise.

‘A warm-up prepares your body for exercise by raising your heart rate and using dynamic movements, while a cool-down brings your body back to a resting state by lowering your heart rate with static stretches. By first introducing such individuals to cool-down exercises, you begin to open up their body, preparing them for what is to come,’ he says.

According to Okoth, this is where his boxing background comes into play.

‘Boxing is a sport that involves a lot of these techniques, with stretching, body movement and flexibility greatly emphasised. Boxing is all about coordinating the entire body to work efficiently, and that is why it is ideal for a beginner. It involves moving your entire body in many different directions and doing so swiftly,’ he says.

‘These are the kind of movements you need to introduce such a person to first, to try and strengthen their weak muscle fibres. It also helps to build their endurance. After that, you can gradually introduce them to light weights and build from there. This way, the body can transition more gradually and in a more balanced manner as it learns to cope with the increasing physical stress,’ Okoth says.

Breath-hold training in water

As his clients gain confidence and build momentum, Okoth gradually introduces more demanding exercises. One of his more unusual techniques is breath-hold training in water.

He encourages his clients to swim, partly because it gives them an opportunity to work on their breathing and learn to remain calm while holding their breath.

‘I always encourage my clients to swim because then you get a chance to train your breath. This is one of the techniques I have been doing for many years, and it has been effective in helping with my body recovery, and even as far as managing the ribs rehabilitation,’ he says.

Okoth says he has gotten better at the technique with age. In his 20s and 30s, he says, he could hold his breath underwater for about a minute.

But now at 40, with years of consistent practice, that has gradually pushed the limit to between three and four minutes.

For Okoth, the exercise is less about simply staying underwater and more about teaching the body to remain composed under stress. He believes the practice has helped him develop endurance and recover better after strenuous physical activity.

‘When you start training to hold your breath underwater, you trigger the body to naturally start adapting to accommodate more oxygen and use it more efficiently under strenuous circumstances. That naturally builds your endurance,’ he says.

There is some science behind the physiological changes that occur during breath-holding. According to PubMed Central, when a person holds their breath while submerged, the body activates what scientists call the diving response. Among other changes, the heart rate slows, and blood flow is redistributed towards vital organs such as the brain and heart, helping conserve oxygen.

Okoth says he has experienced these effects through years of practice.

‘You know, when you are underwater, your body is triggered to a lowered heart rate because you are holding your breath. This helps the body conserve oxygen and maintain the supply to the vital organs. Also, pushing past the initial urge to breathe gives your respiratory muscles a workout. When all these factors come into play, even your recovery improves, as well as your stamina,’ he says.

For Okoth, therefore, swimming and breath-hold exercises are not simply about learning how long one can stay underwater. They form part of a broader approach to conditioning the body gradually, building control, endurance and confidence before moving on to more demanding forms of exercise.

Rapper and songwriter Nyamari Ongegu (Nyashinski) has suffered another setback in a copyright infringement case filed against him by a Nigerian music producer.

The celebrated rapper will now be compelled to produce contract documents on a multi-million-shilling brand ambassador deal he signed with Tecno Kenya in May 2023, potentially revealing how much he was paid under the agreement.

This follows the High Court’s dismissal of an appeal in which Nyashinski had sought to prevent disclosure of the contract and its financial details.

Sources familiar with the deal told Business Daily that the deal that made Nyashinski the face of Tecno’s Camon 20 smartphone was worth about Sh12million.

Nyashinski’s legal troubles in the matter date back to 2023, when Nigerian music producer Sam Are Eliapenda filed a case at a Magistrate’s Court accusing the rapper of infringing his copyright when he entered into the endorsement deal with the Chinese smartphone manufacturer without his consent.

Eliapenda produced the beats for Nyashinski’s hit song Wach Wach, which was prominently featured in Tecno’s Camon 20 marketing campaigns following the endorsement deal.

The producer argued that, as the creator of the music used by Tecno in commercials featuring Nyashinski, he was entitled to a share of the earnings from the contract. Eliapenda told the court that he had unsuccessfully tried to reach an agreement with Nyashinski before turning to the courts.

In his plea, the producer asked the Magistrate’s Court to compel Nyashinski to produce the endorsement contract and related financial records so that the amount he received from the deal could be established.

On August 9, 2024, the court ordered Nyashinski to produce details of the contract, including bank transaction records and royalty reports on the disputed song, to help settle the matter.

The Magistrate’s Court said that the sought contract documents were necessary and relevant for a fair determination of the suit.

Nyashinski, however, moved swiftly to the High Court, filing an appeal on August 21, 2024 against the magistrate’s decision.

He faulted the magistrate’s ruling, arguing that it failed to provide directions, safeguards and/or mechanisms to ensure that his personal data, financials, legal obligations and personal brand are protected from blackmail, extortion, exploitation, fraud and abuse.

The rapper insisted that releasing the documents would expose his trade secrets, putting him at a commercial disadvantage and exposing him to potential losses.

He also faulted the magistrate for incorrectly extending the scope of privity of contract by allowing the music producer to seek the documents he has no contractual rights to access, insisting that the contract document does not bear a material connection to the core issue of the case.

Further, the rapper argued that disclosing the contract and the amount he was paid would breach a non-disclosure clause between him and Tecno. He further insisted that the producer had not given the court a meaningful reason for demanding the contract because he was not a party to the agreement between Nyashinski and Tecno.

But the producer argued back, stating that availing the contract is crucial in determining the losses he has suffered as far as his 50 percent publishing rights of the song Wach Wach, which was heavily used in the promotion of the Tecno Camon 20, is concerned. Eliapenda also accused Nyashinski of contradiction, having initially told the Magistrate Court that there existed no such contract as he was paid in cash.

The High Court initially gave Nyashinski reprieve on the appeal, suspending the execution of the magistrate’s ruling pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.

‘On careful consideration of the application, there is no doubt that the applicant (Nyashinski) stands to suffer loss if no orders are granted in the event the appeal succeeds. That is so because the fear the applicant has will be long realised with no possibility of reversal. Once the documents are released on discovery, then the process intimated to by the applicant will automatically set in motion. The application therefore is merited. There be a stay of execution of the ruling delivered by Hon Selina Muchungi pending determination of the appeal,’ the High Court ruled in 2025.

That reprieve has now been lifted.

Last Friday, the High Court dismissed Nyashinski’s appeal, effectively clearing the way for the disclosure of the documents and ending the temporary stay that had shielded the contract from disclosure.

‘The magistrate exercised proper discretion in finding that the 1st applicant (Nyashinski) and Tecno Mobile should produce the documents requested by the 1st respondent (Sam Are Eliapenda Jedidiah). The Magistrate’s finding was sound in law. Appeal dismissed with costs to the 1st respondent,’ the court ordered.

With the appeal dismissed, the matter now returns to the Magistrate’s Court, where Nyashinski will be required to produce the contract and related financial records.

The documents could reveal the finer details of the Tecno deal, including the financial value attached to the endorsement, before the copyright case proceeds to its substantive hearing and trial.

The bone of contention on the matter is largely pegged on the ownership rights of the song Wach Wach, which was used in a commercial advertisement.

According to the split sheet contract terms – which is a written agreement outlining how ownership and royalties are divided among collaborators on a song – Nyashinski owns 100 percent of the master rights to the song. However, the rapper and the producer split the publishing rights to the song, with each owning 50 percent.

Eliapenda argues that he is entitled to a percentage of the millions Nyashinski made from the endorsement deal, based on his publishing rights ownership of the song.

The producer maintains that Nyashinski cannot claim his rights are superior to his.

‘The rights of the appellant are not superior to the rights of any other persons; thus, the appellant cannot claim privacy after publicly disenfranchising me of millions of shillings through the copyright-infringing advertisement made together with him and the 2nd respondent and now claim privacy,’ he states in his court pleadings.

However, in his defence, Nyashinski maintains his deal with Tecno wasn’t a publishing deal as Eliapenda claims but rather one which included image rights, appearance, video/photo shoots, and social media association.

Nyashinski further argues that, through his company, GETA International, he signed a fair use agreement with Tecno for the use of the song Wach Wach, which he had every right to, as he owns 100 percent Master Rights and didn’t need any consent from the producer.